


Eight Gifts

by ValkyrieNine



Series: Seven Blessings [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015), supercorp - Fandom
Genre: AgentReign, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Complete, Completed, F/F, Falling In Love, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Gift Exchange, Gift Giving, Hanukkah, Love, Sisterly Love, SuperCorp, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:01:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21847873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyrieNine/pseuds/ValkyrieNine
Summary: The Danvers girls celebrate Hanukkah in style. Lena and Kara are madly in love. Lena joins the family for her first Hanukkah and receives eight special gifts from Kara that represent their relationship from the beginning to the present. This story is filled with love, tradition, food, humor and just the right amount of fluff for those seeking a respite from 2020. I will post over eight days of course!For Barbara and all of the Jewish girls out there that deserve some solid representation in fic. Big hugs to you all.The Playlist:https://open.spotify.com/user/terukonf/playlist/0EX3lQAuSh2IlsCDTlAy4O?si=aRvN8NhjQNSmJDlvub6L-gAs always, SUPERCORP ENDGAME has my heart.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Samantha Arias, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Series: Seven Blessings [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662874
Comments: 19
Kudos: 166





	1. The First Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bveros](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bveros/gifts), [mayalice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayalice/gifts), [QuiteTheScreamer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuiteTheScreamer/gifts), [PiperT](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiperT/gifts), [DBrooke84](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DBrooke84/gifts).



> Updating the story with the complete playlist. Happy Hanukkah!
> 
> The Playlist:  
> https://open.spotify.com/user/terukonf/playlist/0EX3lQAuSh2IlsCDTlAy4O?si=aRvN8NhjQNSmJDlvub6L-g
> 
> —————-  
> My sincerest thanks to all of the readers who have stuck with me throughout the year. It’s been awesome!

A soothing rain cloaked Midvale for a solid week before the first night of Hanukkah. Kara loved the sound of the raindrops beating down on the roof of her childhood home. She and Alex spent many a night listening to the wind and water whip around and watching the droplets cascade down the windowpanes.

Normally, she would find the weather relaxing, but her heart was heavy with worry waiting for Lena to arrive. She did her best to stay busy and not obsess about Lena’s safety, but Lena had stolen her heart, and all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around her and keep her safe. Lena was her world.

When Kara suggested that Lena come to Midvale to join her for Hanukkah, she assumed that Lena would make it for a night or two, but as Kara discovered during the last year, Lena never failed to surprise her. Lena stayed back a few days to finish up some L-Corp business, but she was eager to join the Danvers family for all eight nights. It meant the world to Kara to have Lena prioritize her and her family over her busy work schedule.

Kara stared out the window at the foggy shore and daydreamed about kissing Lena’s soft, warm lips.

“Mom, how many people are we expecting for dinner? One hundred? Two hundred?” Alex asked with a playful chuckle as she surveyed the busy kitchen.

Eliza laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

“My mother taught me how to cook for an army. I wouldn’t know how to cook any less. It just means we will have plenty of leftovers.”

“We will have leftovers for the rest of our lives,” Alex said, shooting Kara a playful wink.

“She’s not wrong, Mom. I’ve chopped ten onions and there are only five of us for dinner. Two onions per person seems a bit excessive.”

“I can’t have my girls go hungry and you know how quickly you two devour the latkes. I am only making sure that Lena, Sam, and Ruby have plenty of food.”

“Who could go hungry with all of this?” Alex asked. “Brisket, latkes, sufganiyot, knish, veggies, challah. My God, Mom. Lena is going to leave fifteen pounds heavier. Be honest, Hanukkah is just a clever way for Jewish mothers to fatten their kids up, so we are too slow to run away. I can feel my arteries hardening thinking about all the sour cream. That and I think my butt is getting bigger. How about yours, Kar?” Alex moved around to inspect Kara’s rear. “I think it’s bigger already!”

“Oh shush. I just want Lena’s first Hanukkah with us to be magical,” Eliza said.

Kara laughed at Alex’s accurate assessment of her mother’s cooking, but she was also deeply touched that Eliza cared so much about Lena. She moved to Eliza’s side, wrapped her arms around her from behind, and propped her chin onto her shoulder.

“Thank you, Mom. I appreciate everything you do for us and everything you are doing to make things special for Lena. She’s really excited about spending time with the family.”

“It’s my pleasure, baby. We love Lena. She’s one of my girls now. Hey, is Nia coming? I know you said she might make it.”

“Nia and Brainy are coming up on the last night.”

“J’onn said he is joining us for the last night too,” Alex added cheerfully.

“I’m going to need to buy more food. We will definitely need more onions,” Eliza said, without a hint of humor.

Alex and Kara both hugged Eliza and laughed.

“We need to do an onion intervention, Mom. Seriously,” Kara said, playfully.

“Hey Kar, when is Lena getting in?” Alex asked.

“She’ll be here in a half an hour. She texted a little while ago. She’s super close.”

“Did you figure out what to get her? I know you’ve been stressing out about it.”

“You know she will love anything you do for her,” Eliza said, returning to her food preparations.

“It’s been hard because she refuses to tell me what she wants. She can afford to buy anything she needs, and she leads a simple life. I think I’ve come up with some meaningful gifts that represent us and our relationship.”

“What kind of meaningful gifts?” Alex asked.

“I have a sentimental gift for every night, and I’ve written her a letter that goes with each gift.”

“Is number eight an engagement ring?” Alex asked with a sly grin.

“Yes. Please give us a proposal,” Eliza said, joyfully returning to Kara’s side to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“We’ve only dated for a year. Come on. Give us some time. Who knows, you guys might scare her off with too much food and this music. Wait, what is this Alex? Is this Christmas music?”

**“Santa Claus is back in Town,” by Elvis Presley played in the background.**

**https://open.spotify.com/track/5b1jXYUOgAX5QAHXPVHdld?si=v4JbBvC0SYOsm9ruUzri2Q**

Alex gave Eliza and Kara a guilty smile.

“Have you heard Hanukkah music, Kar? There is no good Hanukkah music. It’s a conspiracy. They give the Christian kids Elvis, Mariah Carey, and Bing Crosby. We get the Rapping Rabbis.”

“What about my playlist?” Eliza asked.

“NO!” Kara and Alex said in unison. They immediately exploded into raucous laughter.

“No offense, Mom, but no one needs to hear thrifty different versions of Sevivon, and your religious music doesn’t scream celebration. It’s a bit... um... old school.,” Kara said, trying to be kind.

“It’s tradition. You girls and your hip hop music.”

Kara and Alex laughed hysterically.

“Hip hop?” Alex said, wiping joyful tears from her eyes.

“I have an awesome playlist for Hanukkah. Admittedly, it’s no Mariah Carey, but I think I’ve found some good music. They are all silly songs because it’s me, but silly is nice this time of year,” Kara said with a wink. “Okay, some of them are downright goofy.”

“Fine. I dare you to wow me with your Hanukkah mix. When you fail, I will go back to playing Christmas music,” Alex said, confidently.

Kara walked over to her mother’s stereo and flipped through her phone. She set up her playlist and stepped back.

“Boom, Alex!”

**“Happy Hanukkah,” by Matisyahu played loudly through the house.**

**https://open.spotify.com/track/0BSBzobfETKbKYe5ZJWkFj?si=dgDkkRUyQWeRK1PXvt0oeg**

Alex and Eliza listened to the song and laughed.

“Oh, Kar.”

“I’m just saying, it’s my silly Hanukkah mix or Mom’s thirty versions of Sevivon.”

“Fine. You win, Kar. Play away!”

“Where were we?” Kara asked.

“Chopping onions and you were telling us why you won’t marry my baby Lena,” Eliza said.

“Okay. You’re right. It would be a crazy. A year ago, she was trying to kill you,” Alex said, with a sad smile.

“When you say it like that, it sounds awful. Everything Lena has done since the day we met has been because she loves me. Even when she was angry, it was because I broke her heart. The moment we confessed our love to each other, all the darkness of the past just seemed to vanish. We both worried that it would be hard to move past everything, but we are in such a wonderful place. She makes me so happy. Is that weird?”

“No, baby. It’s not weird. You and Lena love each other to the ends of the earth. You have fought extremely hard to get where you are. I’m glad you two never gave up on each other.” Eliza took Kara’s hand and kissed it.

Alex grabbed a bunch of carrots and washed and trimmed them as they talked.

“Are you excited she’s coming for the entire week? I can’t believe she signed on for all eight nights. She must be insane,” Alex chortled.

Eliza gave Alex’s shoulder a squeeze and grinned.

“Or maybe she’s madly in love and wants to be with Kara for the entire week. Your sister isn’t getting any sleep. I imagine poor Lena has felt the same way.”

Kara beamed.

“I like Mom’s theory better. I remember when Sam and Ruby joined us for the week of craziness before you two got married. Remember how nervous you were? You thought Sam was going to hear Mom’s Hanukkah lecture and book it. Now look at them. Sam and Ruby are pros.”

“I’m an incredibly lucky woman for sure. I wonder when those two are going to get back from the store. They left hours ago.”

“I gave them a long list,” Eliza said, averting her gaze.

Kara stared out the window, lost in her thoughts of love.

“It’s kind of cute. I think Lena is nervous.”

“She has no reason to be nervous. We will explain everything,” Eliza said, with a warm smile.

“Lena didn’t have the benefit of any spirituality or culture when she was growing up. This is all new to her. The Hebrew will definitely be new for her.”

“Don’t worry Kar, Mom will pull out her full Chabad educational PowerPoint presentation. Lena will be a Hanukkah expert in no time.”

“I had to insist that she not spend the last few days studying. You know she’s my adorable little bookworm.”

“She’s in safe hands,” Eliza said, confidently.

The doorbell rang, and Kara’s heart leaped. She ran through the kitchen to the front door and swung it open. She found Lena standing with her luggage and a massive gift basket. Lena dropped everything the second she saw Kara and wrapped her arms around her hero’s neck with the strength of a Super. She pressed her lips to Kara’s and kissed her fervently. Her cheeks were wet with droplets of rain.

They stood there basking in each other’s embrace, the rain still beating down behind them, kissing like Lena had just returned from war. Lena pulled back and beamed.

“How is it I can miss you so much after two days?”

“Did staying at my place help?” Kara asked, caressing Lena’s cheek with the back of her fingers.

“It did. I just curled up in bed and buried my face in your pillow. You’ve turned me into such a softie, Kara Danvers.”

“Did you get everything settled at L-Corp? Are you okay for eight crazy nights?”

“Everything is great. The team was a little worried when they found out Sam and I were both going to be out for the week, but we have everything under control.”

“Come in from the rain, Malkati,” Kara said, grabbing Lena’s things.

“What does “Malkati” mean?” Lena asked with a curious smile.

“Malkati means “my queen” in Hebrew. I thought I would start your Hebrew education the right way.”

Lena moved her hands to Kara’s neck and stared deep into her eyes. Kara smiled and Lena melted into her arms. Kara dropped Lena’s things and pulled Lena close. Lena pressed her lips to Kara’s cheek and closed her eyes. She laid a hand over her hero’s heart and nestled closer.

“I love it. Malkati. It’s perfect. I love you so much, Kara. How did I get so lucky? I still pinch myself every day in utter disbelief that all of this is real. This all feels like a wonderful dream. I need a nickname for you. Maybe ‘my beautiful hero’ or ‘my little potsticker thief’.”

“Not sure if I know how to say ‘potsticker’ in Hebrew, but we’ll work on it,” Kara said, holding Lena’s waist tight and kissing her nose.

“My home is in your arms.”

Kara pressed her forehead to Lena’s and closed her eyes.

Alex and Eliza walked up behind Kara and smiled.

“Hello Lena, my love,” Eliza said, throwing her arms up in the air. Kara took a step back and allowed Eliza to move in closer to greet Lena with a warm hug and a kiss.

Eliza pulled back and caressed Lena’s head warmly.

“How was your trip? You must be starving. Come in. Let’s get you out of the rain.”

Eliza took Lena’s hand and guided her into the house. Kara grabbed Lena’s things and followed them inside.

“Welcome to the Hanukkah madhouse, Lena,” Alex said, giving Lena’s shoulder a squeeze. “Kara is playing terrible Hanukkah music and Mom is going to make you explode with all the food she is making. Fun stuff. Hope you like onions.”

“Alex!” Eliza said. She leveled a disapproving look at her eldest daughter.

“Kara, why don’t you show Lena upstairs so she can get washed up. Are you hungry, sweetie?”

“I’m famished,” Lena said with a little yawn.

“Good! You go upstairs and lay down for a bit. I’ll bring you a snack.”

“And the fattening up begins,” Alex said.

Eliza grabbed Alex’s ear and gave it a pinch.

“Alex Danvers, you behave or no sufganiyot for you,” Eliza said seriously.

Kara could see the curious look on Lena’s face.

“Come on, beautiful. Let’s go upstairs and I’ll explain what a Hanukkah jelly donut is.”

Lena’s brow furrowed in confusion, but she smiled sweetly and held onto Kara’s arm. 

“I can’t wait to spend this week with you.”

***

“I can’t believe I’m standing in your childhood bedroom. I love picturing my little Kara running around and causing mischief.”

Kara kicked the door close with her leg and gave Lena a naughty wink.

Kara slipped her arms around Lena’s waist and pulled her in close. Her eyes were bright and warm. She pressed her cheek to Lena’s and closed her eyes.

“I want to get into trouble with you. I missed you so much and I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for traveling all this way.”

“I’m thrilled to be here, my love. I would travel to hell and back to be with you.”

“And you’re really okay with eight nights?”

“Of course, my love. There is nowhere in the world I would rather be. I’m really excited.”

“Manage your expectations, baby. Mom is going to stuff you full of food for the next eight days and bore you to death with every Hanukkah fact under the sun. By the end of Hanukkah, you will know more than most Rabbis. At least you’ll get some presents.”

“Oh, stop. I am excited to be here with you and your family. I want to know everything about you. I love the idea of learning about your faith and your traditions.”

“I’m just so glad we don’t have to be apart. I didn’t realize how co-dependent I was until I had to sleep by myself. I missed you so much.”

“I felt the same way. Even being at your place, it took me forever to fall asleep without your arms around me.”

“Well, my arms are all yours, Malkati.”

“Is that my Hanukkah gift?” Lena asked with an adorable smile.

“That and so much more.”

“I hope I did okay with all of your gifts. Your Mom was easy to shop for. We’ve been spending so much time together; I had an extensive list.”

“I hope you know how much she loves you. She has been really enjoying all of your nerdy adventures.”

“Your Mom is amazing. I love our lunches. We get to talk about all my favorite things. Science, math, you.”

Kara tickled Lena’s neck and kissed her nose. She pulled back and smiled.

“I hope you like your gifts. I was telling Alex that it is impossible to find gifts for the girl that has everything.”

“You are the only gift I need, Kara. You are the best gift.”

“Do you want to get washed up and take a nap or something?”

“Is your Mom cooking dinner?”

“Yep. She’ll be cooking until sundown.”

“Let’s go downstairs and help her. I feel weird lying around while she’s working so hard.”

Kara kissed Lena’s palm.

“You know Mom won’t let you work at all. You’re a guest.”

“I have a plan for that. She said I’m family now, so she needs let me help. I’m not just a guest. See what I did there?”

“I love you so much. Come here,” Kara said, taking Lena’s hand and guiding her over to her childhood bed.

Kara laid down and patted the bed next to her. Lena laid down and wrapped her arms around Kara tight. The twin bed was too small for the two of them, but neither of them cared. They didn’t need an excuse to squeeze together.

Kara stared deep into Lena’s eyes and stroked her cheeks.

“I just want to lay here and hold you for a few minutes. Just you and me. Is that okay?” Kara asked.

“Of course, my love. This is exactly what I needed after the long trip.”

“Thank you for coming and spending Hanukkah with us, Lena. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby.”

Lena moved down and rested her head against Kara’s chest.

“Funny, I traveled all this way, and yet, I feel more at home in your arms than I ever could in National City without you.”

***

Kara and Lena made their way downstairs to help Eliza and Alex finish dinner.

Eliza greeted Lena with another hug and a kiss. Lena handed Eliza the gift basket with a smile.

“What’s this?”

“Just a little Hanukkah basket. Nia helped me pull it together. Just some things for the Hanukkah table.”

Eliza looked through the basket of fresh fruit, nuts, and treats.

“This is beautiful, Lena. Thank you so much, but you really didn’t have to.”

Lena looped her arm around Eliza’s and held on tight.

“I just wanted to say thank you for welcoming me into your home and sharing your traditions with me. You know I’ve had a lackluster family life, so it means the world to me that your family has been so welcoming.”

Eliza leaned in and kissed Lena three times on the forehead.

“Well, you’re one of my babies now. I see you more than I see either of my other girls. You’re quickly taking the lead as my favorite.”

“Hey Lena, stop making us look bad,” Alex said, giving Lena a little poke in the side.

“No, really. She buys me lunch, we talk about our lives, she’s such an amazing daughter,” Eliza said, holding onto Lena and grinning.

To see her family and Lena so happy together warmed Kara’s heart.

“Babe!” the sound of Sam’s voice calling from the front door broke up their tender exchange.

“Babe, we’re back.”

Alex, Kara, Eliza, and Lena all went to help Sam and Ruby with the groceries. Sam dropped the bags and greeted Lena with a loving embrace.

“How was your trip? Everything settled?” Sam asked.

“Yep. We are ready. The merger is moving forward with the two biotech companies and the Skylar contracts are in process so you and I can take a much needed and well-deserved break.”

Ruby threw her arms around Lena’s waist and gave her a big squeeze.

“Hi Aunt Lena. I’m so excited you’re here.”

“Are you ready for the Hanukkah crash course?” Sam asked, kissing Eliza on the cheek. “Eliza is a pro. We’ve only done this for a couple of years, and Ruby knows all the prayers. She’s actually learning Hebrew.”

“Wow. That’s great, Rubes,” Lena said, kissing Ruby’s head.

“Mom, I got more onions like you asked,” Sam said to Eliza.

Alex and Kara burst into laughter.

“Seriously, Mom?” Alex asked, grinning.

“What? We eat a lot of onions,” Eliza said with a shrug.

Alex looked through the bags and looked up at Sam.

“Babe, you forgot something?”

Sam massaged Alex’s shoulders and smiled.

“What’s missing?”

“The breath mints. With all of these onions, we’re going to need them.”

***

When the sun set, Eliza gathered the family into the living room. She stood in front of the Hanukkiah and gave Lena a smile.

“Okay, Lena, my love. How much do you know about Hanukkah?” Eliza asked.

Alex and Sam stood behind Ruby, holding onto each other. Kara held Lena’s hand and stood next to her.

“Careful Lena, it’s a trap. You know nothing,” Sam said jokingly.

“Not much. I know that you light a menorah for eight nights and exchange presents. I think they’re pancakes.”

“So, nothing,” Alex said with a belly laugh.

“I will light the candle and say the prayer. Once the candle is lit, I will explain everything you need to know.”

Eliza stepped forward to the Hanukkiah and lit the center candle.

She recited the prayer.

“Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik ner Cha-nu-kah.  
Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem bi-zman ha-zeh.”

“Amen,” Alex, Kara, Ruby and Sam said in unison.

Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh.”

“Amen,” Alex, Kara, Ruby and Sam said in unison once more. Lena followed suit.

Eliza then lit a single candle at the far-right side of the Hanukkiah.

Once the candle was lit and Eliza recited the prayer, the Danvers matriarch moved to all her girls and gave them a kiss on the cheek.

“Okay, Lena my love, come sit down and I will give you the crash course the girls mentioned.”

They all sat down on the couches around the Hanukkiah. Ruby and Sam cuddled up to Alex, and Lena and Kara sat close together, hands clasped.

Eliza brought over the sufganiyot and latkes for them to enjoy while she regaled Lena with the significance of the holiday.

“Over 2,000 years ago, there was a Syrian-Greek leader named emperor Antiochus. He outlawed the study of the Torah and defiled the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. A small but brave band of Jewish soldiers fought the Greeks, expelled them from the land and regained the Holy Temple. They wanted to light the temple’s Menorah, but found they only had enough oil for one day. The Greeks destroyed the rest. It would take eight days to find more oil. They lit the menorah and miraculously, the oil lasted eight days and nights and that is why we celebrate Hanukkah. It was a miracle.”

“That’s beautiful,” Lena said.

“So that candle in the middle is the ‘Shamash’ or the ‘attendant candle’ and we use it to light the others each night. We start from the right and light a candle each night. After we light the candle, we talk about Hanukkah, we eat latkes and play dreidel for gelt.”

“What is the significance of the prayer?” Lena asked.

Ruby cleared her throat, and Eliza gave her a wink.

“We are thanking God for the miracles and for bringing us together.”

“Nicely said Rubes,” Alex said, rubbing her cheek.

“So, that’s pretty much it. Candles, prayers, Amens, food, dreidels and more food,” Kara said with a smile. “That’s our Hanukkah.”

“It’s perfect,” Lena said. “God, the latkes smell amazing.”

“It’s the onions,” Eliza said with a playful wink.

“Mom!” Alex and Kara said in unison. The sound of their laughter filled the air.

***  
Kara took a seat on the couch next to Lena and smiled. Kara’s gift to Lena was the last opened on the first night.

So far, everyone seemed thrilled with their gifts. Eliza bought them all matching pajamas, Sam and Alex bought Eliza and Kara a wok, admitting that they weren’t very original. Alex bought Lena a beautiful whiskey set with glasses, a decanter, and whiskey stones that she absolutely adored. Sam and Alex bought each other new rings to replace their less expensive wedding rings, and Ruby received a selection of clothing and jewelry from all the adults. Lena gave Eliza a beautiful cashmere sweater, Alex a gorgeous knife and sheath, Sam a diamond tennis bracelet they had seen on a business trip to Metropolis and Ruby a very grown-up leather jacket.

Kara pulled out a large blue box and handed it to Lena with a smile.

“What’s this? The box is huge,” Lena said, grinning.

“Well, we know it isn’t an engagement ring,” Alex whispered to Sam and Eliza.

Lena removed the top of the box and found a framed copy of the article Kara wrote about her when they first met. She found an envelope and another small box.

“Lena, I hope you know how hard it is to be with someone who wants for nothing. You tell me all the time not to buy you anything. You can buy anything you a want and you have everything, so I had to get more creative. Each one of your presents for the next eight nights will be something sentimental and will connect to our relationship from the beginning until now. So, for our first night, I present our beginning. Open the letter.”

Lena opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

“Should I read it aloud?” Lena asked.

“It’s up to you. It gets a little mushy.”

“Who you? Mushy? Never,” Alex said, giving her sister a playful jab.

“I think it would be nice to hear the letter if you both feel comfortable,” Eliza said, holding onto Ruby and giving her a kiss on the head.

Lena cleared her throat and read the letter aloud.

“Night One. Malkati, I can go back in time and remember every single second you and I have spent together. I remember the first moment we met, the very instant I saw your smile and your beautiful green eyes. I remember every sound, every smell. I remember how nervous I was to be near you. Not because you were Lena Luthor, sister of the infamous criminal Lex Luthor, but because you were so breathtaking, I could barely speak.

I thought long and hard about when I first realized I loved you. I thought about so many moments, but I realized this article was my first love letter to you.

Every time I have re-read this article, I don’t see facts; I see the love I felt for you from the very beginning.

It was also that article that prompted you to fill my office full of flowers, and that was the first time I wondered if you felt the same way about me. It was so romantic. It would take so much time, so many conversations, so many highs and lows to get where we are now, but I knew the moment I laid the pen to the paper to draft the article that I would love you with my whole heart and soul for the rest of my days.

So, on this first night of Hanukkah, I thank God for blessing me with the love of my family and the love of my life. Lena, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so glad our journey began because I love you more than life itself. You are my love, my queen, and my heart always.

Your other gift is an antique silver fireplace lighter. I had it engraved. The lighter, much like the flame of the Hanukkiah, represents more than the fire. It represents the fire you lit in me and our beginning. It represents the miracle of our love because, let’s be honest, no one ever thought a Super and a Luthor could make it work. I love you with all my heart, Lena. Thank you for celebrating Hanukkah with us.

Your faithful and loving servant,

K.”

Kara had been staring down at the ground while Lena read the letter and didn’t notice that Lena’s eyes had welled up with happy tears. Kara looked over at Lena and smiled. Lena wrapped her arms around Kara and kissed her temple. She closed her eyes, deeply moved by her gift.

“That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read. Your gifts are perfect.”

***

Kara and Lena laid together, wrapped in each other’s arms. The rain still beatint down on the roof, but now Kara’s heart was completely at peace. Soft music played in the background and they whispered to each other softly as their eyelids became heavy with sleep.

“Thank you, Kara.”

“For what, my love?”

“For loving me despite everything I’ve done. I have not always been easy to love.”

“Are you kidding? I meant what I said in the letter. Loving you is effortless. The moment we met; my heart was yours. Our past matters because it is how we got here, but none of the darkness matters. The second your lips touched mine, I lived for one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Our future together.”

Lena laid her head down on Kara’s chest and smiled. She closed her eyes and curled one of Kara’s blonde locks around her finger.

“Happy Hanukkah, Kara.”

“Happy Hanukkah, Malkati.”


	2. The Second Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the second night of Chanukah, Kara gives Lena another gift that represents her love and devotion.

Kara awoke to the sound of Lena’s light snores and the comforting weight of her body pressed into her deliciously. The twin bed became far more hospitable when Lena crawled on top of her and fell asleep on her chest. There was no greater feeling in the world than having Lena wrapped in her arms. A sliver of sunlight rested on Lena’s face, exposing a little drool collected at the side of her mouth.

_How can she be so dignified and pulled together for everyone else and so adorably comfortable with me? I love her so much I can barely take it. Look at her, fast asleep, hair disheveled, drool at her lips and she is still the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes upon. She will always be my queen. I don’t want to spend another night away from her._

Lena stirred and Kara pulled her in close. She kissed her lips softly.

“Good morning, Ms. Luthor,” Kara whispered softly.

Lena reached up and kissed Kara tenderly. Kara loved when Lena kissed her with her whole heart, first thing in the morning. When they first got together, Lena would run to the bathroom and brush her teeth before she ever thought of kissing Kara in the morning. Now, the moment Lena’s eyes opened, she craved Kara’s kisses more than anything else in the world.

“What happened to Malkati?” Lena whispered.

Kara put her hands under Lena’s arms and pulled her into a warm embrace. She kissed her with all the fire in her heart. She leaned back and caressed Lena’s hair.

“You are always my beautiful queen. Did you sleep well?”

“I did. I slept so well. After spending the last few nights apart, I just needed to fall asleep to the sound of your heartbeat. It is my favorite sound in the world.”

“And I love the sound of your heartbeat. I secretly listen to it all the time. Super hearing has its perks.”

Lena moved her hand to Kara’s chest and rubbed it softly.

“Thank you again for my gifts last night. I know I don’t make it easy, but your gift was so meaningful and incredibly beautiful. I love you so much, Kara.”

“I love you too, my heart. Shall we get cleaned up and head downstairs for breakfast?”

“Oh God, I think I’m still full from dinner last night. Hey, you never explained the sufgan... I can’t remember the name.”

“Oh yeah. Sufganiyot. They are the jelly donuts that mom made yesterday.”

“They were so good. I get the latkes, but why do you eat jelly donuts for Hanukkah?”

“Weird, right? There is a hilarious song on my Hanukkah playlist called ‘Sufganiot’. It makes me laugh every time I listen to it. I’ll play it for you later. It will drive Alex crazy, I’m sure. I’m also sure mom will continue your education tonight, but I can kind of explain the jelly donut thing. There are ancient records of the Jewish people eating sufganiyot way back in the day. There was a reference to the Jews eating fruit surrounded by two round pieces of bread so far back that Israel actually made sufganiyot the official food of Hanukkah. Although that decision was made because making sufganiyot is a great job for the people and the consumption of mass quantities of fried food is kind of our thing during Hanukkah. It is way more fun than the fasting we do at Yom Kippur. I’ll save you from that mess.”

“I could use a fast. So much food,” Lena said, holding her belly.

“Alex and I will try to make sure mom doesn’t go too crazy with you but, prepare yourself, tonight is only the second night of Hanukkah. This is a marathon not a sprint.”

“Do we do anything different?”

“The prayer is slightly different but no, we gather, we eat, we pray, we light the candles, and we exchange presents.”

“I don’t know how you’re going to beat last night’s present,” Lena said with sly smile. “Any spoilers?”

“Not really. Just that all the gifts are meaningful, and they represent our love.”

“I love that so much. You are such a romantic, Kara.”

“I don’t know, you’re pretty romantic yourself. I love the necklace you gave me. It’s so special.”

“You said you wanted me close to your heart always, so I thought a platinum L was fitting. Now that I’ve seen what you’re doing, I think I have to up my game a little.”

“You are doing everything perfectly, my love. Come on, let’s go see how mom has incorporated ten onions into breakfast. I swear, that woman is obsessed.”

***

When Kara and Lena finally made their way downstairs, Sam and Alex were curled up on the couch together watching a romantic movie while Eliza and Ruby worked on a puzzle.

Eliza lit up when she saw Lena and Kara. She got up and greeted them both with a tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning, my loves. Breakfast is warm and on the stove. I hope you’re hungry. I made pancakes. Not potato pancakes just in case you were wondering, Lena. Simply good old-fashioned pancakes.”

Lena looped her arm around Eliza’s and leaned her head against her shoulder. Eliza leaned in and kissed her forehead.

“Thank you so much for all of this. Do you ever stop moving?”

“I rest as soon as the cooking and preparations are done.”

“So, that’s a no,” Kara said with a chuckle.

“Well, thank you, Eliza. This is all wonderful and thank you again for last night. Being a part of this family is incredibly special to me.”

“You go sit down with the girls and I’ll make you and Kara a plate,” Eliza said, pointing to the couch.

“No, Mom. You sit down and relax. I’ll grab us some food.” Kara took Lena’s hand and turned towards the kitchen.

“Nonsense baby. You two go sit down, and I’ll make you a plate.”

Eliza smiled, but her eyes were intense. She was not taking no for an answer.

Kara and Lena walked over to the love seat across from Sam and Alex and curled up. Kara pulled down a blanket from the back of the couch and covered their legs. A beautiful fire raged in the fireplace and a more intense storm blanketed Midvale with a steady rain shower.

“Good morning, you two. How did you sleep?” Alex asked with a suggestive tone. “Nice to be together again?”

Lena put her feet up on the couch and curled up against Kara. Her smile and her bright eyes said it all.

“I slept like a baby,” Lena said dreamily. It was hard getting out of bed.”

“It was all the food. I could barely move this morning,” Alex whispered.

“I’m kind of surprised we aren’t having sufganiyot for breakfast. It seems appropriate,” Lena whispered.

“Nothing about our food makes sense,” Kara said with a snort. “Oh yeah, I should play that song for you.”

“What song?” Alex asked.

“A song from my exceptional Hanukkah mix.”

“Oh brother,” Alex said with a defeated sigh.

“Come on. It’s awesome. It’s about sufganiyot.”

“Fine, but you are not renewing my faith in our music. I swear I am going to play “White Christmas” if you don’t find something better.”

Alex paused the TV and Kara moved to the stereo. She turned around to Lena and beamed.

“Alex is going to hate this,” she said as she hit play and let out a loud belly laugh.

“Sufganiot”, by AkaPella played loudly through the home.

https://open.spotify.com/track/0PyvLLbYjnJMwCi2xmnK6r?si=NdvPLLujQPOKKhTdkPLzOQ

“See, you two and your hip hop,” Eliza said adorably off-base.”

“Oh mom, this is not hip hop. Not by a long shot,” Alex said, turning red with laughter.

Kara sat down next to Lena once more and wrapped her arms around her tight.

Lena laughed at the terrible lyrics.

“Wow. This song is epic. Like it is so bad it is actually good.”

Alex scoffed.

“It’s so bad, it’s bad. Right, Sam?”

Sam moved closer to Alex and kissed her cheek. She gave her a guilty grin.

“Sorry babe, I think it’s kind of catchy.”

“Ugh!” Alex said.

“There’s always my playlist,” Eliza offered cheerfully.

Alex grabbed Sam’s hand and pleaded. “Babe, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

Kara chuckled loudly.

“Remember that Hanukkah where I totally owned you, Alex? Remember when I proved there was good Hanukkah music? Boom! I win!”

***

As Kara explained earlier in the day, the second night of Hanukkah was remarkably similar to the first night. The prayer was shorter, and Eliza made four huge roasted chickens instead of brisket, but the warmth and love of the evening was just as comforting and special to the family.

Before they exchanged gifts, Eliza insisted that they all go upstairs and put on their matching pajamas. When they returned to living room, Eliza’s eyes welled up with joyful tears.

“Look at my beautiful girls,” Eliza said, wrapping her arms around Lena lovingly.

Alex looked around at all of them in their matching pajamas and started laughing.

“You guys look ridiculous.”

“I hate to break this to you, Alex, but you’re one of us. Look in the mirror,” Kara said, giving her sister a poke in the side.

***

Eliza, Alex, Sam, and Ruby sat back and watched as Kara handed Lena a small silver shoebox and kissed her lips softly. Lena removed the lid and pulled out an envelope, a pair of Kara’s glasses and a lock of her hair. Lena pressed the lock of Kara’s hair to her cheek and smiled. She opened the envelope and pulled out another letter.

“Go ahead. Read it,” Alex said impatiently.

Lena cleared her throat and held Kara’s hand. 

“Night Two. Malkati, before I met you, I didn’t know who I was. I have spent most of my life searching for a purpose, searching for something to help me understand why I’m here. I know that our paths crossed for a reason. For the longest time I believed it was to save the people of National City, but I never truly found myself in my quest to defeat the villainy that has constantly plagued our home.

I donned these glasses to protect my family and my friends, but I mostly put them on to protect myself. This cover identity protected me from looking at myself and how dissatisfied I was with my life.

The minute I laid eyes on you, the moment I heard your voice, I wanted to be a better person. I know it sounds silly because you have worked so hard to fight your darkness, but you have always made me want to be the best version of myself.

On this second night of Hanukkah, I present you with a pair of my glasses, the very glasses I was wearing the day we met, and a lock of my hair. These gifts represent the very essence of me. They represent the person I was trying to be, my secret identity. My hair represents the very essence of who I am. Every part of me, mind, body, and soul are yours, my beautiful love. On this second night of Hanukkah, I give you myself completely.”


	3. The Third Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night three brings the gift of a Supercorp dance, four special envelopes and so much tooth-rotting fluff, you might need a dentist.

The warmth of Lena’s cheek pressed against her chin, the feeling of her breath tickling her ear, and the rhythm of their bodies swaying together in time was Kara’s happy thought. Whenever the world was getting her down, whenever she laid awake in bed at night, worried about how she would defeat a villain, Lena would turn on a romantic song and they would dance until all the demons left Kara’s mind. Her home was in Lena.

The third night of Hanukkah somehow seemed more magical to the women celebrating in the Danvers household. Maybe it was the globe lights that Alex and Ruby hung around the inside of the house that twinkled brightly, or maybe it was the soft music that Kara had chosen for their dance. All Kara knew was that she had never felt more content in all her life.

**“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, played through the home.**

**<https://open.spotify.com/track/2vSxjnyrWrtxyfzO47EX6q?si=et99qABLSY20Z69Y35PmUw> **

Kara pulled Lena in tighter and kissed her head. Lena wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck and stared deep into her eyes.

“If I had to take a snapshot in time of my happiest moment, it would be right here, right now,” Lena whispered softly in Kara’s ear.

Kara moved her hand to Lena’s cheek and smiled sweetly.

“I couldn’t agree more, Malkati.”

“Hey, I still want a nickname for you in Hebrew.”

“I still haven’t figured out how to say potsticker in Hebrew,” Kara said with an adorable chuckle and a little snort.

“You’re my beloved.”

“Ahuvati,” Kara said. “My love.”

Lena beamed. She gently stroked Kara’s cheek with her fingertips.

“That’s perfect. Ahuvati and Malkati. I love us, baby.”

Lena grabbed Kara’s face in her hands and kissed her lips tenderly.

“I love you, my queen.”

Lena looked around, but there was no sign of Eliza, Ruby, Alex, or Sam.

“Hey, where is everybody?”

“They’re helping me with something special.”

“Oh, really? God, I love you and I love Hanukkah.”

“You are so cute,” Kara said.

Kara tickled Lena, and she squealed with delight.

“Okay, you two. Try to keep it together. They’re children present,” Alex said, walking in on their tender moment. She gave Lena a playful wink.

Eliza, Ruby and Sam all walked in behind Alex. Eliza handed a beautiful gold box to Kara and kissed her cheek.

“Everything is ready, my love,” Eliza said to Kara.

Kara turned around and handed the box to Lena with a soft kiss on the lips.

“Malkati,” Kara said, handing the box to Lena.

“Thank you, Ahuvati,” Lena said.

“You two are adorable,” Eliza said. “Come on. Time for presents.”

***

“Time for the last gift,” Ruby said.

Lena removed the lid from the box. The family surrounded her on the couch.

She pulled out four envelopes, a framed photo, and a small silver box.

Each envelope was numbered one through four. She looked up at Kara and grinned.

“Should I start with number one?”

“Perfect,” Kara said.

Lena cleared her throat.

“Night three. Malkati, on this third night of Hanukkah, I am reminded of all the things that are most precious to me. You know how precious my family is to me. When you and I first met, your family had broken your heart so many times you were numb. You couldn’t imagine a world where a family could love and support you unconditionally. Who could blame you? I remember the first year we met, I wanted so desperately to invite you to our holidays, but I worried you were too high above me. You were so classy and sophisticated and I’m just me.”

Lena stopped and looked over at Kara. She shook her head and kissed Kara’s nose.

“Really? High above you? You have always been so high above me. I love how wrong you are.”

Kara leaned in and kissed Lena’s neck. Lena giggled and continued to read.

“When I think back on our relationship from the beginning, the thing that has amazed me the most is the way you love my family and the way they love you. You and Alex were not always as close as you are now, but over the course of our relationship, you’ve found your bond to each other and that means more to me than you’ll ever know. Understanding the pain your family inflicted on you made me want to share my family and all the love that they bring with them.

On this third night of Hanukkah, I present you with a picture of our family, letters from each of them, and a special gift from Mom to show you just how much you mean to us. Lena, you don’t just mean the world to me. You mean the world to all of us and we love you with all of our hearts.”

Lena’s eyes filled with tears. She set the letter down on her lap and grabbed Kara’s face. She kissed her lips lovingly, her cheeks were wet and flushed.

“I’m speechless,” Lena just barely managed through her tears. “I am so touched.”

Lena pulled out the photo. It was the picture they had taken that year for Thanksgiving. Eliza, Lena, Alex, Sam, Ruby and Kara stood together in Kara’s apartment, holding each other close. It was the perfect photo of their new family. Lena placed her hand over the picture and her other hand over her heart.

“I love this so much.”

Lena bit her lip to hold back her tears.

“Read the letters,” Ruby said. “Number two is from me.”

Lena put her hands out to Ruby. The cherub cheeked teen ran to Lena and sat down between her legs on the floor.

Lena opened envelope number two and cleared her throat.

“Auntie Lena, thank you for giving Mom the job at L-Corp and changing our lives forever. You are always there for us and we love you so much. Thank you for helping me with my homework and taking me to the best movies. When Mom was hurting, you were there. When we moved to Metropolis, we missed you so much, but now it finally feels like our family is complete. I hope you have the best Hanukkah. Now that you and Auntie Kara are together, we will have many more. Let me know if you need help with your Hebrew. I’m getting pretty good. I love you. Ruby.”

Lena pressed the letter to her chest and beamed through her tears. She grabbed Ruby close and kissed the top of her head. She gave her another big squeeze.

“That was beautiful, Ruby. Thank you so much.”

Lena pressed her hand to Kara’s cheek.

“Time to open envelope number three,” Kara said.

“That’s us,” Sam said.

Lena grabbed envelope number three and opened it. She pulled out the letter and read it aloud.

“Lena, my dearest friend in the world, how could I possibly convey all of my feelings in a letter? You took a chance on me and brought me to L-Corp when I needed your kindness the most. You have always been warm, loving, and patient. Spending this Hanukkah with you is so special because you’re not just my best friend, you’re my sister and I love you more than you will ever know. Thank you so much for loving us the way you do. Happy Hanukkah Lena. All my love, Sam.”

Lena stood up and hugged Sam. She squeezed her tight.

Lena wiped more tears from her eyes. Kara grabbed some tissue and handed it to her queen.

“My letter is on the back of Sam’s,” Alex said.

Lena flipped the page and read Alex’s letter aloud.

“Dear Lena, when Kar asked me to share with you how I feel, I had no idea where to start. I suppose I should be honest and say that when I met you, I didn’t trust you. Your last name threw me, and I was sure my goofy, bleeding heart sister had picked a super villain to be her best friend.”

Lena stopped for a moment. There was an awkward silence as the family waited for Lena to continue. Their brows were all furrowed with concern.

Suddenly, Lena exploded into a laughter that was so loud and so heartfelt, that the others couldn’t help but join in. Lena sat down next to Alex on the couch and hugged her.

“Only you, Alex. Only you could be this honest”, Lena said, wiping joyful tears from her eyes.

“Go on. It gets much nicer,” Alex said pointing to the letter.

“I was wrong, Lena. So wrong. You came into our lives and helped us fight your horrible stepmother, your brother, the Daxamites and countless other villains. You have saved my sister’s life more times than I can count, and you helped the love of my life fight her demons and come home to me. I have you to thank for bringing Sam and Ruby back into my arms and for that, I am eternally grateful. I am also eternally grateful to you for bringing Kar back to life with your love. I have never seen my sister this happy before, but I guess she was just waiting for her hero to arrive. Thank you for signing on for this crazy holiday. I can’t believe you agreed to eight nights, but I am so thankful that you will be here with us every step of the way. We love you and remember, even if my sister is too chicken to propose, you’re a Danvers now. Your partner in crime and in whiskey, Alex.”

Lena wrapped her arms around Alex’s arm and pulled her close, still laughing.

“What did I do to deserve all of you?” Lena asked gleefully.

Kara walked over and knelt in front of Lena. She looked deep into her eyes and shot her that signature smile that was Lena’s alone.

“You have always deserved the care and protection of a loving and supportive family and now you have us.”

Lena leaned forward and took Kara’s hand.

“One more letter,” Eliza said, motioning for everyone to move aside so she could sit next to Lena.

Ruby grabbed the last letter and the box and handed it to Lena.

“Open the letter and then open the box,” Eliza said.

Lena pulled out the letter and read aloud. Her eyes were red from all the emotions of the evening, but she was grinning from ear to ear.

“Lena, my love, I’m sure by now, you know how much you mean to all of us, but I want to share a story with you. I remember when you were so angry with Kara that you snapped. Kara called me and we talked for hours. She told me how she knew she was in love with you from the moment you two met and that she had spent your entire friendship trying to fight her feelings for you. I hate to bring up such a dark time for you two, but I wanted to share with you what I told my weeping daughter.”

Eliza wrapped her arm around Lena and pulled her close. Lena leaned against Eliza and her breathing became labored.

“It’s okay baby. Just read,” Eliza said with a smile.

“I told Kara that the greatest love stories weren’t just brief moments in time. I told her that real love stories were epics. They were years of turmoil and longing, but in the end, all great lovers found their way home to each other. When Kara confessed her feelings, she told me it terrified her to think that she was the one who pushed you to the darkness. I told her it was her and her alone that would bring you back to the light and I was right. I’m pretty amazing that way.”

Lena nodded her head and smiled sweetly.

“I also told her that no matter what you did, you did it because you love her so passionately, so completely, that you were not you anymore. I told her that when she helped you find your way home to her arms; you would both be the absolute best versions of yourselves and you are. You are madly in love, full of joy, and your hearts are finally at peace. Being around your two causes this infectious joy that is impossible to describe. Kara once confessed to me once that you worried we wouldn’t accept you because of your past. On this third night of Hanukkah, I want to tell you we have always accepted you and always loved you. That will never stop.

My Kara loves you more than any other being in the multitude of universes out there and we love you just as much and with just as much trust, love, and dedication. In the box, you will find a copy of the key to this house. Only my girls have a copy of this key. It is an honor we bestow only on our family and Lena; you are our family. I love you as one of my babies. Happy Hanukkah, my sweet love. Mom.”

Kara watched Lena as she broke down into Eliza’s arms. Kara, Sam, Alex, and Ruby all converged on Lena and wrapped their arms around her. Eliza held Lena close as she labored to breathe.

“Shhh...it’s okay, baby,” Eliza said.

“I... I’m sorry... I’m just so touched I don’t know how to process it all.”

Alex held onto Lena tight.

“I have something to say. I know this is a very serious, heartfelt moment. I mean, we are all wrapped together loving you Lena, and no one has the courage to say what everyone is thinking.”

“What’s that?” Kara asked holding on to the huddle of family hugs.

“We all need to brush our teeth. Seriously, so much onion, Mom. Tomorrow we eat nothing but matzo!”

All the women laughed hysterically. They pulled back and Eliza wiped away Lena’s tears. Lena grabbed Eliza’s hand and kissed it.

“Thank you all for your words. They mean more to me than anything else in this world. Kara, you know me so well. Eliza, thank you for your trust.”

“Thank YOU, Lena. Thank you for loving my Kara the way you do and thank you for joining our family. We love you with all our hearts.”


	4. The Fourth Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena learns that spelling Hanukkah isn't always easy.  
> Kara gives Lena a gift that breaks her heart and touches her deeply and Sam and Alex receive some wonderful news.
> 
> On this fourth night of Hanukkah, I want to thank all the readers out there for your love and support throughout the year. 2020 has been a challenging year for the world, but through our love of this beautiful fandom, we can find the light.

“I have a question,” Lena said immediately after Eliza lit the fourth candle on the Hanukkiah.

“Of course, baby. What’s your question?” Eliza said, caressing Lena’s head.

“Well, it’s a bit of an observation and a question.”

Kara moved behind Lena and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind.

“What’s your observation, Malkati?” Kara asked.

“Everyone spells Hanukkah differently. How do you really spell Hanukkah? I have seen it spelled so many ways. I noticed in your letters, even you guys spell it differently. Is it with an H or a Ch? Is there one N or two Ns? Do you spell Hanukkiah with an H or a Ch and are there two Ns?”

Alex, Kara, and Eliza all looked at each other and chuckled. Even Ruby shook her head and grinned.

Alex put a hand on Lena’s shoulder.

“Oh Lena, that is the age-old question that everyone asks. Welcome to Hanukkah.”

“I totally have a song on my playlist for this,” Kara said, puffing her chest out proudly.

“You’re kidding,” Alex said, shaking her head.

“Nope.”

“So, this is a thing?” Lena asked.

“Oh yeah. It is definitely a thing,” Alex said.

Kara moved to the stereo and looked through her phone.

“Kara Danvers, you sit down and marvel at the lights before you play any of your music.”

“Sorry, Mom. I have to take action,” Kara said with a big grin.

**“How Do You Spell Channukkahh?” By the LeeVees played loudly through the speakers.**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZjCGpTXLUpg7cAaZzgwBP?si=NvkHyhQCQ_K8rEFm9n5N-A** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZjCGpTXLUpg7cAaZzgwBP?si=NvkHyhQCQ_K8rEFm9n5N-A)

Kara returned to Lena’s side and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Eliza shook her head as she listened to the song, but slowly the lyrics made her smile.

The song ended and even Alex grinned.

“So, Mom, you’re the wise one. Can you tell Lena how to spell Hanukkah?”

Eliza averted her eyes and moved to the stereo. She looked through Kara’s phone and gave them all a sly smile.

**“Sevivon,” by Leonard Bookman, played.**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/2xZ7RGewFVbZVi5OV9LgtM?si=OscH9j96TY-nIRXsloTu1Q** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/2xZ7RGewFVbZVi5OV9LgtM?si=OscH9j96TY-nIRXsloTu1Q) ****

“What did Kara say before? Oh yes! Boom! Ha!” Eliza said proudly.

Alex, Sam, Lena, Kara, and Ruby all stood in a line facing her. They all laughed and shook their heads in disbelief.

“She’s stalling,” Alex said. “God, Mom. This is the worst.”

“Wow. Nicely done Mom. Alex, Mom just totally owned us,” Kara said.

“That she did, Kar.”

“So, does this mean I’m not getting an answer to my question?” Lena asked, confused.

Eliza grabbed Lena’s arm and smiled.

“I’ll tell you what my mother told me when I asked her how to spell Hanukkah. She said, throughout the world, throughout different countries, provinces, cities and states, everyone spells it differently. She said it is because Hebrew can be interpreted different ways phonetically.”

“That makes zero sense, Mom. You don’t see other words like that. It’s not like the word ‘Menorah’ is spelled with three Rs or nine Hs,” Alex said, igniting another disapproving stare from Eliza.

Ruby stepped forward and offered her precocious teen opinion.

“I researched this question extensively and determined that there is little to no consistency, and, often, people will spell it out with an H and two Ks, but then in parentheses, the spelling with a C and one N or two Ns is added. It seems like the answer is spell it however you want because as long as it has enough of the letters to get the point across, you’re good.”

Alex wrapped her arms around Ruby and kissed her head.

“Do you hear my brilliant girl? She might be smarter than all of us put together,” Alex said with a proud smile.

“I agree one hundred percent,” Lena said. She gave Ruby a wink and blew her a kiss.

“I’m getting a headache from all these Hs, Ns, and Ks and this music Mom. Come on!” Kara said, finally reaching her breaking point.

There was a brief silence, and then they exploded into laughter again. Maybe it was the steady diet of fried food or all the love, but they all seemed giddy on the fourth night of Hanukkah.

“Come girls, let’s open presents. I’m dying to see what Kara has for Lena tonight,” Eliza said, rubbing her hands together.

***

“Before I give this to you, Lena, I should apologize for the more somber tone of this letter. I wanted to keep everything light, but it was important to represent our entire relationship and not skip the moments that may be harder.”

“It’s okay, Kar. Just give her the box,” Alex said eagerly.

Kara handed Lena a silver box with blue polka dots on the outside.

Lena removed the lid and found a beautiful leather-bound journal, a tattered black shirt, and the usual envelope.

She opened the envelope and flattened out the letter.

“Night four. Malkati, on this fourth night of Hanukkah, I want us to reflect on just how lucky we are to be here together tonight. In the box, you’ll find a black shirt. Don’t worry. It’s not meant to be a gift for you to wear. This is the shirt you were wearing the day you were poisoned. I never told you this, but that day when you passed out in your office speaking to me and James, I picked you up and flew high into the sky, taking you quickly to the DEO. I didn’t change. I didn’t remove my glasses. I didn’t think. At that moment I was so terrified, I could barely move an inch, but something inside of me drove me to protect you at all costs When we arrived at the DEO, Alex told me we needed to lower your body temperature. I used my cold breath to bring your vitals back to normal and help stabilize you. I was never more thankful to be Supergirl than I was at that moment.

Lena, I have never been more terrified in all my life. I thought for sure you were going to die, especially when Alex told me what the poison was. I tried to hide how terrified I was, but every second felt like an eternity until I knew you would be safe.

The second item you will find in the box is one of my most precious items. I have kept a very secret, and very highly guarded journal since the day we met. What’s in the journal you ask? Everything about us. Everything that happened, everything we said. Every hope, every fear, every thought of love and feeling of hopelessness I felt for so long.

Lena, this journal contains my deepest, most personal thoughts (Please don’t let Alex get her hands on it. She’s awful about snooping. Don’t read this part out loud).”

“Whoops,” Alex said, teasing.

Lena gave Kara an awkward smile of apology, but the women just laughed it off.

“I want you to know every part of me and not just the good, fluffy, smiley stuff. I want you to know me. On this fourth night, I present you with my most intimate thoughts, fears and hopes for our future. On this night, I cut myself open for you to see the real me and read all the things I didn’t say out loud. I suppose if I had to give this gift a theme, it would be my gift of complete trust, love and transparency.”

“Does that journal include the fact that you check your phone twenty times a day to see if she texted you?” Alex asked, knowing she was stirring the pot.

“Thanks Alex. Super helpful.”

“Sorry, Kar.”

Lena continued to read.

“Lena, I hope you understand that this journal also contains references to my life as Supergirl and it is the most closely guarded possession I have. Gifting this journal to you represents a bigger commitment than anything else I could give you, because handing this to you means I trust you completely. If you ever had any doubts, please let this journal put your mind at ease because I love and trust you with my whole heart and soul. Very simply yours, your Kara.”

Lena took the letter and laid it down on the couch. Her eyes filled with tears and her face dropped.

“Kara, can I speak to you in the other room for a second?” Lena asked.

“Of course, baby. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Lena said, standing up quickly.

Lena grabbed Kara’s hand and led her into the kitchen.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Kara asked, concerned.

Lena threw her arms around Kara’s neck and held her close. She buried her face into her shoulder and sobbed. Kara wrapped her arms around Lena tight and tried to calm her down.

“I’m so sorry,” Lena said, gasping for breath. “I just needed to hold you. I love you so much. I can’t stop. Kara, you mean so much to me. I love you so much and your letter and the journal. I know how much trust it must take to share something so precious with me. I can’t believe you kept my shirt. Oh my God, I am such a mess.”

“It’s okay, baby. Just breathe. Of course, I trust you. I flipped through my journal and realized that there were so many thoughts and feelings that I wanted to share with you. I kept your shirt to remind me of how close I came to losing you. No matter what we’ve been through, no matter how long I needed to wait for you to care about me again, I would look at that shirt and remember how you almost died and the terror I felt. I love you so much and I don’t think I’ll ever stop being afraid of losing you, but that shows me just how important you are to me.”

“That is so beautiful, my love, but I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. Nothing could ever drag me away from you. Never. Just so you know, I never stopped caring about you, Kara. Even when I was at my angriest and most unreasonable, I always loved you, even if I couldn’t say it.”

“Are you feeling better? Are you ready to go back and join the others?”

“Yeah. I think so. I’m so sorry, I was just so overwhelmed,” Lena said.

She wiped away her tears

Kara kissed Lena passionately once more, and they returned to the living room to find Ruby, Sam, Alex, and Eliza all huddled together on the couch crying.

Kara and Lena ran over to the sobbing women.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Kara asked, completely distraught.

“Sam? What is it?” Lena asked.

They all looked up and smiled at Lena and Kara through their tears

“We just got a call from the doctor at the clinic. There was a delay with the labs, but he wanted to call us with the news since it’s Hanukkah,” Sam explained.

“I don’t understand,” Kara said.

“We finally have our donor, and we received the all clear! We’re officially going to start trying for a baby!” Alex exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. “We’ve been searching for so long and we almost gave up. Ruby told us to have faith, and she was so right. It feels like a bit of a miracle.” She placed her hand on Sam’s stomach and kissed her cheek. “Soon, baby.”

“Oh my God!” Lena exclaimed. “Congratulations! You two are going to be amazing mothers to this new miracle baby. Look how amazing our Ruby is.”

The women embraced. Eliza sat on the arm of the couch and wrapped an arm around Lena. Alex and Sam waved Ruby over and she sat between them. The women spent the rest of the night laughing, crying, and celebrating their Hanukkah miracle.

**“Miracle,” by Matisyahu.**

**<https://open.spotify.com/track/2tjL9BvmRpa4Ss2WsSRqRv?si=CadkAXWrT5OsWQC0CKWKMA> **


	5. The Fifth Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the fifth night of Hanukkah, Kara presents Lena with a glimpse into her life before she joined the Danvers family.

Lena opened her eyes and reached out desperately for Kara, but the bed was chilly and there was no sign of her love. She glanced upward and spotted Kara standing near the bedroom window, staring up at the night sky.

Lena crawled out of bed and walked up behind her sleepless hero. She wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her neck with delicate precision. She gave her a little squeeze, and they spoke in hushed whispers.

“Are you okay, my love?” Lena asked, brushing her lips against Kara’s skin.

Kara wrapped her arms around Lena’s arms and let out a heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry if I woke you up, Malkati.”

“I’m okay, baby. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“I was just thinking about everything we’ve been through. Writing your letter highlighted all the obstacles we have overcome. Mainly of our own doing, but it still amazes me I get to fall asleep wrapped in your arms every night. It really is a dream come true. I’m just so happy that it terrifies me to think of losing this. Am I crazy?”

“You’re not crazy, and you are not alone. You don’t think I wake up reaching out for you every morning terrified that this was all a dream? When you’re genuinely happy, your greatest fear is losing that happiness, but you have nothing to worry about, Ahuvati. I will be by your side without fail until my very last breath. We have fought too hard to be together. I will let nothing tear us apart.”

“I love you so much, Lena. I wish I could better articulate how much you mean to me.”

“Your letters have been beautiful. They are telling me how much you love me, and your gifts are showing me what I mean to you. I don’t know how I got this lucky. Your letters are the greatest gift I have ever received.”

“I’m so glad you like them, my love.”

“Kara, can I ask you a question?

“Sure.”

“Do you ever hate me for all the pain I caused you? Do you ever feel angry for all the terrible things I said?”

Kara turned around; her face bathed in moonlight. She moved her hands to Lena’s cheeks and smiled.

“Of course not, Lena. I could never hate you,” Kara said, placing her hand over Lena’s heart. “There is an invisible, inexplicable connection between us that erases all the pain. The moment we confessed our love to each other, none of the other things we said or did mattered. All that matters is we have each other now. Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” Lena said, squeezing the hand Kara rested over her heart.

“Do you hate me for lying to you for so long? I know we moved past everything quickly with few words, but I wouldn’t blame you,” Kara said.

“You know I don’t hate you. My heart is incapable of feeling anything but love for you. You are soft and warm, and I only ever feel truly safe when I’m in your arms. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and your heart makes me want to be a better person. I don’t know how I won the heart of the most beautiful, passionate, intelligent, and powerful woman on this planet, but I thank God every day that I did.”

“Do you remember when I came to your office after Jack died?”

“Of course. You brought me flowers. It was sweet, and you helped me so much that day.”

“I loved you, Lena. I loved you so much every part of me ached. I loved you so much that I wept that day. Not for Jack or for your loss. I wept because every part of me wanted to kiss you and tell you how much I loved you, even then. I wept because I laid in bed every night seeing your beautiful smile in my mind, but you felt so far away. I have wanted this for so long. Sometimes I need to take pause and remember how impossibly hard it was to not be able to kiss your lips, your cheeks or your gorgeous neck.”

Kara kissed Lena’s lips, each of her cheeks, and her neck.

“I say this all the time and I will never stop saying it. Kara, you have my heart, my mind, my body, and my soul entirely. You take as many pauses as you need, but please remember, I am yours completely. Our hearts are one.”

Lena caressed Kara’s chin with her forefinger and smiled. She pressed her lips to Kara’s softly and whisked them over her skin. Kara grabbed Lena’s waist and pulled her close. She kissed Lena with a passionate fervor that surprised them both. It was so late, or maybe it was early, and they desperately needed sleep, but Lena’s words ignited a desire in Kara that overwhelmed her.

Kara picked Lena up in her arms effortlessly and carried her back to the bed. She pulled off her pajamas. All that remained was an adorable pair of Hanukkah-themed underwear adorned with little dreidels.

Lena took in Kara’s form, bathed in shadow and slivers of moonlight, and she beamed.

“How are you this adorable? You are the most beautiful woman on the planet, my love.”

“Not half as beautiful as you are, my queen.”

Lena sat up and quickly removed her pajamas. She tossed them onto the floor and climbed under the covers. She extended a hand to Kara with an eager smile.

“Come here, my love. I need your heart next to mine.”

Kara laid down next to Lena and let her hands travel up and down her love’s smooth, warm skin. Kara pulled the blanket over their shivering bodies and kissed Lena, feather soft on the lips. Lena moved her hands down Kara’s back and moaned as she felt Kara’s fingertips travel over the places that excited her the most.

They spent the rest of the night and early morning, sharing an intimacy that was warm and sweet and bathed in the innocence of Kara’s childhood bedroom. Neither of them took for granted how lucky they were to be there together, wrapped in each other’s arms, making love under the starry sky.

***

“Okay Lena, you’re over the hump. You’ve made it to the fifth night of Hanukkah, and you haven’t left screaming. Nicely done,” Alex said, wrapping an arm around Lena’s shoulders.

“Burn,” by the Maccabeats played in the background.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/5zW36j12oSpTWtEwUnks59?si=lYVGtv7iSCeyvlZGyZVJuQ>

Eliza covered every surface in the bustling Danvers kitchen with large sheets of cookies in various stages of prep, cooling, and decoration. Ruby and Sam sat together decorating dreidels and Stars of David with blue and white frosting. Kara and Lena stood close together cutting out shapes from the dough and Eliza pulled freshly baked cookies out of the oven, marveling at their aroma. The women tapped their feet and danced to the music. Even Alex was enjoying Kara’s eclectic mix of Hanukkah music.

“I don’t want Hanukkah to end. I can’t believe we only have three nights left. This has been so amazing,” Lena said.

Eliza grabbed Lena and gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m so glad you have been enjoying the festivities. You, Sam, and Ruby have made this our best Hanukkah by far. Don’t you agree, girls?”

Alex wrapped her arms around Sam from behind and kissed her cheek. She grabbed Ruby and pulled her in close.

“The absolute best,” Alex said gleefully.

Eliza looped her arm through Sam’s arm and snuggled close.

“Soon we will have a beautiful new baby on the way. I already started coming up with names.”

“Of course, you did,” Kara and Lena said in unison. They both laughed and gave their mother an apologetic smile.

Lena gave Ruby a hug and held her close.

“Are you excited to be an older sister?” Lena asked Ruby with a grin.

“You have no idea. I’ve wanted this for so long. I can’t wait to teach her everything.”

“It could be him, babe,” Sam said with a wink.

“I’m getting a little sister. I can feel it.”

“We know better than to argue with Ruby. She’s always right,” Kara said, giving Ruby a kiss on the top of her head.

“I just love watching our family grow. Hanukkah is all about family, food, and joy,” Eliza said sweetly.

“We have plenty of all three thanks to you, Mom”, Kara said, waving a hand around the kitchen.

“Thank you for being here and celebrating Hanukkah with me. I feel truly blessed. Thank you for having so much love in your hearts. I love all my babies,” Eliza said with a tearful smile.

“We love you too, mom,” Kara said, before all the women converged for an awkward but loving group hug.

***

Lena pulled the top from the large blue box and set it aside next to the couch. The box was bigger than the others.

She pulled out a painting, wrapped in brown paper, a photograph of Kara and Alex as children, a hand drawing of Kara’s Supergirl symbol, and the now customary envelope. She removed the letter and read it aloud.

“Night Five. Malkati, so far, the gifts I have given you have represented steps we have taken together through the evolution of our relationship, but I would be remiss to leave out a part of me I don’t speak to many people about. You know some facts about my past. You know that my actual name is Kara Zor-El, and that I was born on the planet Krypton. You know that my parents were Zor-El and Alura and that Superman is my cousin.

You know the basics, but you don’t know the struggles I have endured trying to come to grips with my past. My parents sent me here in a pod from Krypton with the expectation that I would take care of my baby cousin Kal-El. My mother told me I would sleep, but my pod was knocked off course and I was stranded in the phantom zone for twenty-four years. When I arrived, Kal-El was an adult and had become Superman.

My memories of being trapped in that pod are why I am so claustrophobic, even today. Twenty-four years. It still seems unfathomable to me I survived. The thing that was the most painful for me, the thing that haunted me so much, was that I remembered Krypton. Kal-El was a baby, but I carried the memories of my childhood and my family with me. I remembered my home, and I believed for the longest time Krypton was destroyed and my parents were dead. I later came to find out my mother was alive, and that they had managed to save Argo City and some things I remembered from Krypton.

I don’t want to delve too deeply into the past in this letter, but I wanted you to understand the gifts I am giving to you.

Inside this box, you will find a painting of Krypton and a photo of Alex and I when I was first adopted by the Danvers family. You will also find a symbol that is familiar to you. It is familiar because I wear it on my chest, but what you don’t know is that it is the symbol of the House of El. It is my family crest. I wanted to share these things with you to start a conversation. I want you to know me. All the good and all the bad. I want you to know why I am the way I am and why I do the things I do. The only way for you to have a complete picture of this crazy Kryptonian woman who loves you with all her heart, is to know where my life began.”

Lena laid the letter down on her lap and unwrapped the painting. She studied it closely. The details, the color, the textures. She looked down and saw Kara’s signature at the bottom of the painting. She traced the signature with her fingers. She picked up the letter and continued to read. She bit her lip to fight back her tears.

“My past, Krypton, my parents, my Aunt Astra, my travel to this planet and my complicated relationship with my birth mother, are all things I rarely speak about, but I want to share my thoughts and my feelings with you because you need to know the real me.

On this fifth day of Hanukkah, I present to you, my past. Not the beautiful past, Eliza and Alex built for me growing up, but my origin, my dark past, all the tragedy and pain that has colored me and made me who I am, even if you don’t always see it.

On this fifth day of Hanukkah, I make a promise to always talk to you about my feelings, to share with you the pain I have suffered, and I only ask that when you’re ready, you do the same. I want to know where you came from too. I want to know all the things that happened to you that made you who you are.

Lena, I love you with all my heart and I know, no matter what I have gone through, no matter what struggles or loss I have suffered, it was all worth it because every one of those moments in time led me here. Every sad moment led me to a happy moment with you, and I wouldn’t trade this joy for the world. You are my everything, Lena.

Yours, damaged and broken, but still very yours, Kara.”

Lena set the letter down and wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck. She pressed her forehead to Kara’s and cried.

“I love these gifts so much, but I’m heartbroken. I can’t believe that’s why you’re so claustrophobic. I always wondered how my brave girl could have any fears. I am so sorry you had to suffer the way you did,” Lena said, trying to pull herself together.

Kara pulled back and smiled. Her eyes were glassy as well.

“It’s okay, Malkati. I came here and found the most wonderful family in all the universes. I came here, and I met you. I meant what I said, Lena. No matter what struggles I have had to survive, all of them were worth it. All that matters is that I found my way to your arms and I never want to let you go. I wish I could go back in time and tell that little girl in the pod that her suffering would be temporary. I wish I could tell her that she would find true happiness and she would have the most beautiful life with the cutest girl on earth.”

“I’m pretty sure little Lena Luthor would have had a big crush on little Kara Danvers,” Sam said with a bright smile.

“No doubt about it,” Lena said, looking at the picture of Kara and Alex. “Our love was just meant to be.”


	6. The Sixth Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the sixth night of Hanukkah, Ruby shares the game of Dreidel with Lena and Kara presents Lena with a one of a kind gift.

The sixth night of Hanukkah was the most relaxing by far. The entire household fell into a quiet contentment that warmed Lena to her core. After Eliza recited the prayer and lit the six candles, Alex, Kara, Sam, and Eliza went to the kitchen to plate the latkes, the honey balls, and the cookies. Ruby sat at the dining room table spinning her dreidel happily. Lena enjoyed the opportunity to spend some quality time with her favorite student-turned-teacher.

“Okay Rubes, I’ve taught you a lot, but I think it’s time for you to teach me something especially important. This is vital information I must have to understand Hanukkah. I need to learn how to play Dreidel,” Lena said, sitting down at the table next to Ruby.

Ruby’s face lit up.

“Of course! How much do you know?”

“As your Mom would say, I know nothing. Start from the very beginning and don’t be afraid to dumb it down.”

“The Hebrew word for Dreidel is ‘Sevivon’. That’s why Nanna Eliza keeps playing different versions of the song. It’s a Hanukkah staple.”

“Brilliant!” Lena said with a smile. “Now it all makes sense.”

“Dreidel or ‘Sevivon’ means ‘to turn around,’” Ruby said, giving the dreidel a little spin. “Each player gets fifteen game pieces. You can play with anything. Pennies or candies are usually my go-to currency.”

Lena smiled and listened intently.

“Mom bought a big bag of chocolate gelt for us to play with this year.”

“I love chocolates coins,” Lena confessed licking her lips. Hanukkah seemed to bring out every bit of whimsy from the normally stoic Luthor. “Okay, the competition is on,” Lena said playfully.

“There are four sides to the dreidel. Each side of dreidel has a Hebrew character. At the beginning of the round, each player puts a game piece into the pot. The pot always needs to have game pieces, so there is something to win. The more people who play, the more you can win.”

“We’ll convince everyone to play so we can win more loot. I need my chocolate fix.”

Ruby giggled and patted Lena’s hand. “I have a feeling you’re going to rule the game.”

“Ha! Doubtful. I think you’ll be the big winner. I’m the newbie.”

“I’ll split all my winnings with you because you’re the best.”

“Okay, so what do the different symbols mean?”

Ruby picked up the dreidel and showed Lena each side as she explained. “This symbol that looks like a backward L says ‘nun’, which means ‘nisht’. That translates to ‘nothing’. If you land on nun, you take nothing from the pot. Some dreidels only have the Hebrew characters, but most dreidels you get in the U.S. have a little nickname or shortened name to help players follow along. ‘Nun’ is the shortened name and ‘nisht’ is the Hebrew translation.”

“Got it,” Lena said, hanging on Ruby’s every word.

“The symbol that looks like a backward L wearing a high heel says ‘Gimel’ which means ‘gantz’. That translates to ‘everything’.” As you may have guessed, if you land on gimel, you take the whole pot. Gimel is what you want.”

“Perfect. I think I’m getting it.”

“This symbol that looks like a table says ‘hey’ which means ‘halb.’ That translates to half. If you land on hey, you take half the pot.”

“I’m not settling. It’s gimel or nothing!”

Lena laughed and gave Ruby a little poke in the ribs. Ruby giggled and continued her impromptu dreidel Ted Talk.

“The last symbol that looks like a W with little flames on the top of its points says ‘shin’ which means ‘shtel.’ That translates to ‘put in.’ If you land on shin, you must add a game piece to the pot. The interesting thing is that if you’re outside of Israel, your dreidel will say ‘shtel’ but inside of Israel, it says ‘peh.’”

“Why does it same something different inside of Israel?” Lena asked, confused.

“This is something I just learned from Nanna Eliza. The letters on the dreidel stand for the saying ‘Nes gadol haya sham,’ which means ‘A great miracle occurred _there_.’ These words are actually in the song ‘Sevivon.’ When you play dreidel inside of Israel, the shtel side says ’peh’ because the Hebrew letters stand for the saying ‘Nes gadol haya po,’ which means ‘A great miracle occurred _here_.’

“You know Rubes, I thought for sure your future was in the lab with me, but I think teaching is going to be your gift to the world.”

Lena grabbed Ruby and gave her a kiss on the head.

“Come on. Teach me everything you know so I can impress your Auntie Kara.”

“I know this sounds crazy, but do you want to hear the song?” Ruby asked. “Nanna Eliza has so many versions of Sevivon. She even has one with the ‘peh’ lyrics and many with the ‘shtel’ lyrics.”

“Sure!” Lena said.

She was happy to further immerse herself in the culture and tradition of her new favorite holiday.

“Alexa, play ‘Sevivon,’ by Hana Laszlo,” Ruby said aloud. The sound of Hana Laszlo’s voice filled the air.

**“Sevivon, Sov Sov Sov’” by Hana Laszlo played loudly through the house.**

**<https://open.spotify.com/track/58NBSNdG8s0jSikjPRmdjS?si=MpMXTNOWSXewvj1Uqe0eUw> **

Lena looked confused.

“Wait, you have Alexa, and everyone has been walking up to the stereo to play music?”

“Yep. No matter how many times I tell them, they always forget.”

“I love this family so much, but geez, they know nothing about technology. Thank God you’re here Ruby.”

“I’m always happy to help.”

The song ended and Ruby commanded the virtual assistant to play another version.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING? NOT MORE SEVIVON!” Alex yelled from the other room.

Lena and Ruby looked at each other and giggled playfully. Ruby pressed her finger to her lips and shushed Lena, but they were too far gone. They held onto each other and laughed with their entire bodies.

***

Kara plopped down on the couch next to Lena and handed her a small silver box sprinkled with little blue Stars of David on the outside. Alex sat on the other side of Lena, grinning.

“I love this box. It’s beautiful,” Lena said.

“We love our Stars of David,” Alex chuckled.

“What’s the theme of tonight’s present?” Eliza asked.

“Read the letter, Malkati,” Kara said, kissing her cheek softly.

Lena removed the lid from the box and found a hand drawing of red, green, silver, and white kryptonite, a photo of Kara, Eliza and Alex, a picture of Lena, and a little silver box.

Lena opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. She cleared her throat.

“Night Six. Malkati, by now I think you know how much I trust you and love you. You’ve probably figured out that there is no part of me that is off limits to you. My heart, my soul, my body, and my mind are all yours, my queen.

On this sixth night of Hanukkah, I want to share something with you we have rarely discussed. My weaknesses. It is something that is always at the forefront of my mind. When the world sees Supergirl, they see “The Girl of Steel”. They don’t understand that I spend the great majority of my time in constant fear that the villainy of National City will run rampant if they ever realize that my weaknesses are very real. They are like an exposed nerve and they render me tender and vulnerable.

I have three major weaknesses. The first is kryptonite. In the box, you will find a picture of green, red, silver, and white kryptonite.

When I am exposed to any of these, you know the consequences are dire. You have seen what kryptonite can do to me. As powerful and destructive as the substance can be in its various forms, it is not my greatest weakness by a long shot.

My second weakness is my family. You will find a picture of me, Mom, and Alex in the box. I thought you would like to have your own picture of the three of us since you hate having your own photo on your desk. I don’t get it. I could stare at your picture all day.”

Lena paused and smiled at Kara.

“I love how much you know me, Kara,” Lena said. She continued to read.

“An old classmate of Alex’s, Rick Malverne, kidnapped Alex to blackmail me in to breaking his father out of prison. He figured out I was Supergirl, and he used my secret against me. I felt so weak, so helpless. I had super strength, laser vision and the ability to fly and I was powerless to stop Malverne. I have never felt weaker or more vulnerable in all my life. I was so enraged. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to find him and toss his lifeless body into the sun, but in the end, it wasn’t my super strength that saved Alex. It was Alex herself. Alex overcame her fear like a proper hero. She is one of the strongest people I have ever met. That is something the two of you have in common. I love Mom, Alex, Sam, and Ruby with all my heart and that leaves me susceptible.”

“Last, you’ll find a picture of yourself in the box. I know it’s not much of a present. It is more symbolic. I wanted to include a picture of you because you are my greatest weakness. I have loved you from the moment we met and since then, I have run into every dangerous situation that involved you, head on, and with no consideration for the danger it posed to me. I love my friends and my family with all my heart, but I have always been able to apply reason and logic before heading into battle. When I know you’re in danger, I will do everything in my power and beyond to bring you home safely.

You do something to me, Malkati. You calm me with the sound of your voice; you hypnotize me with those stunning green eyes of yours. Your smile can light me up and your anger can destroy me. When you weren’t speaking to me, my entire world shut down. The sun ceased to shine; food had no flavor. Nothing seemed to make me feel safe or happy as long as I knew you were out in the world not loving me.”

Lena stopped reading. Tears fell down her cheeks. She looked over at Kara and shook her head. Kara gave Lena a sweet smile and caressed her cheek. She wiped away the tears with her thumb and kissed her lips gently.

“There was never a moment, not a single second when I didn’t love you, Kara Danvers. Never. Even when I was furious with you, I always loved you. How could I get so angry if I didn’t love you with all of my heart?”

“I know my heart. I know you love me, but at the time I was so scared that you would never find your way home to me. Keep reading, baby. It gets better.”

Lena gave Kara a tender smile and wiped away her tears. She read on.

“You are my greatest weakness, but you are also my greatest strength. Your love has given me the power to overcome unspeakable pain. You are my happy thought. Whenever things get truly awful, I close my eyes and picture your smile. I picture those quiet moments when the two of us are just looking into each other’s eyes and I can get through anything. When I train, when I fight, when I’m too exhausted to go on, I close my eyes and imagine you are there with me, holding my hand.”

I can look back at every terrible fight I’ve had, every painful hit with kryptonite, every terror, and know that it was always you that got me through the pain.

Malkati, my love, my heart, it is my love for you, my undying, eternal love that is my greatest weakness, but I choose to channel it into my greatest strength. Your smile will always be my happy thought. Your kisses will always be what will bring me home safe from any battle. I live for your smile. I live for you every day.

On this sixth night, I present to you a symbol of our bond, both the weakness and the strength. In the little silver box, you will find a necklace Brainy helped me make. It is an infinity symbol, forged in steel, with a hematite core. The steel is you, fortifying me and giving me strength. The hematite, a remarkably sensitive stone, represents my passionate, maddening, fly into danger, weakness for you.

You are not just with me, Lena. You are my core, my support. You are part of me. You are my foundation, and my strength. If you fall, I crumble, but as long as you and I stand together, I can never feel weak.

I love you, Malkati. I love you with all my heart.

Yours eternally, Kara.”

Lena opened the little silver box and ran her finger along the pendant. The infinity symbol hung from a platinum chain that glimmered in the light. Lena held the cool steel in her palm and smiled.

“Kara, this is exceptionally beautiful. This really is us. I love it so much.”

Kara took the necklace from Lena and helped her put it on.

“Kara, my love, I am so proud of the romantic you’ve become. Every gift is more beautiful than the last,” Eliza said with tears in her eyes.

“Yeah, Kar. Can you quit it? You’re making me look like a jerk over here,” Alex said with a chuckle.

“What can I say? Lena brings out the hopeless romantic in me. She will always be the muse of my heart.”


	7. The Seventh Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The seventh night of Hanukkah brings warmth, contentment, and a fun Danvers tradition.

A cozy pleasure washed over Kara for the seventh morning in a row. Kara loved waking up with Lena in her arms, but she felt a particular delight curling up with the love of her life in her childhood home.

Lena laid curled under her arm, fast asleep, dozing contentedly. The tickle of Lena’s breath on her chest was the only Hanukkah gift Kara needed. She adjusted gently and moved a hand to Lena’s head, kissing her cheek with loving care. Lena stirred and wrapped her arms around Kara’s waist. 

“Good morning, Malkati,” Kara whispered.

“Good morning, Ahuvati.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Amazing. I never thought I could sleep this good in such a tiny bed. I guess I can sleep peacefully anywhere, as long as I’m wrapped in your arms.”

“I feel exactly the same way, but I am really excited about going home and sleeping in our bed,” Kara said.

Lena pulled back and beamed.

“Our bed?” Lena asked.

“My bed stopped being ‘my bed’ the minute your head hit my pillow for the first time. It’s _our_ bed. It always will be.”

Lena crawled on top of Kara and kissed her passionately. She laid her head down on Kara’s chest and interlaced her fingers with Kara’s.

“Is it weird that I’m a little depressed?”

Kara’s body stiffened, and her face fell.

“Why Malkati? What’s wrong?”

Lena pressed her chin to Kara’s chest and gave her the sweetest, most disarming smile.

“Nothing is wrong, my heart. I just mean I’m a little depressed that Hanukkah is almost over. The last six days have been so wonderful. I don’t want it to end. I never thought I could feel this content just lying around, gorging myself, and watching movies. Now I know what true bliss feels like.”

“I’m so relieved. Alex convinced me you would run for the hills after the third night. It means so much to have you here with me. I always hated spending holidays without you. How can I celebrate without my queen?”

“I love Alex to death but remind me to give her a disapproving Luthor stare later,” Lena said with a playful chuckle.

Kara grabbed Lena under her arms and pulled her up to kiss her full red lips. She threw the blanket over their heads and Lena giggled.

“So, you’re enjoying Hanukkah?”

“More than words can describe. The family, the traditions, and all the glorious food has been amazing, but the best part of celebrating this week with you has been your beautiful gifts. I always knew you were a romantic, but your gifts have been overwhelming. Your love fills my heart with so much joy.”

“It’s all your fault.”

“What do you mean?”

“You refuse to tell me what you want, so I had to get creative. I couldn’t just go out and buy you a diamond bracelet or a coat.”

Lena ran her fingers over her new necklace.

“This necklace is perfect. There is no better gift in the world. I love how your mind works.”

“It’s easy when you’re madly in love. You’re the muse of my heart and you always will be,” Kara said, her eyes glassy and full of warmth.

Lena pressed her hands to Kara’s chest and gave her a playful peck on the lips.

“Is it legal to feel this happy? I feel like Alex is going to bust in and arrest me for feeling this giddy. You know Luthors aren’t allowed to feel giddy.”

“We’re buck naked. I doubt she wants to storm in here and who says Luthors can’t feel giddy. It’s my mission in life to make you giddy.”

“Mission complete,” Lena said, giggling playfully.

“Lena, thank you for wanting this. Thank you for wanting to be close to my family and wanting to learn about our traditions. Not everyone would have signed up for this.”

“I meant what I said. I want to know every part of you, Kara Danvers. I want to know where you came from, what makes you smile and what matters most to you. I love your family with all mu heart. I’m depressed that it’s almost over. I can’t believe we only have two nights left.”

“They’re the best nights by far. I love the seventh night. Mom has this crazy tradition you’ll adore. Alex and I always have the most fun on the seventh night.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a surprise. You’re going to love it, I promise.”

“I’ve loved every minute of my time here. I’ve never felt more at home when I was away from home, but I guess my home is wherever you are. Jeez, that was a mouthful.”

“You have a key now. This is your home, baby.”

Kara moved her hands to Lena’s lower back and under her shirt. She scratched her skin gently with her nails. Lena closed her eyes and purred like a kitten.

“God, I love when you do that.”

“I know,” Kara said with a playful raise of her eyebrow.

“So, what do we do for the last night of Hanukkah?”

“On the last night, you invite everyone over for a big party. We invite all our friends and family to celebrate with us. Nia and Brainy are coming and so is J’onn. I think Winn may try to come, and Clark and Lois will be here. It should be a beautiful night.”

“That sounds perfect.”

“It really is. It is so special. If I’m being honest though, my favorite part of this Hanukkah has been all the quiet moments we’ve spent with just the six of us.”

“Me too, my love. I think that’s why I can’t believe it’s almost over. Being here with your family, relaxing, eating, watching movies, is the most content I have ever been.”

“We don’t need Hanukkah to do this, my heart. We can come here any time and we will drag Alex’s clan with us. If Alex and Sam have a baby, I imagine Mom will demand we come here all the time.”

Lena smiled and pressed a hand to her heart.

“Thank you again, Kara.”

“For what, my love? Inviting you to Hanukkah? You don’t have to keep thanking me for that. You’re my love. Of course, I wanted you here.”

“No. Thank you for loving me the way you do. Thank you for never giving up on me, even when I made it easy to walk away. Thank you for your gifts and giving me your heart and your trust. I love you so much.”

Kara smiled, but her eyes filled with tears. She moved her hands to Lena’s head and caressed her silky black hair.

“You don’t have to thank me for that. My love for you is effortless. My love for you is just part of me and it always will be. You take my breath away, Lena Luthor.”

Lena smiled. “How about I take more of your breath away now?” She asked suggestively. They disappeared under the blankets, giggling like two silly schoolgirls in love.

***

“Okay, so tonight is a little different from the other nights,” Eliza said, wrapping an arm around Lena’s shoulders.

“What’s different?” Lena asked.

“We do everything the same way as the other nights, but we stay awake all night. We take a long walk around the neighborhood; we listen to music, dance, and we watch movies. I started doing it after we lost Jeremiah. That first Hanukkah without him was hard. We were all restless, so we just spent the entire night doing things that made us smile. It became a tradition so every seventh night, we stay awake all night together, cuddle up and we do whatever makes us happiest.”

“God, I love this family,” Lena said, grinning from ear to ear. “That sounds perfect.”

Eliza wrapped both arms around Lena and gave her a warm hug. She held on tight.

“Lena, my love, I hope you know how happy and thankful I am that you came into our lives. I am thrilled you’re here and that you and Kara finally have the love you both deserve.”

Lena held onto Eliza even tighter.

“Thank you. Thank you for your love, your trust, and your support. After everything Kara and I have been through, I was so worried that you and Alex would want her to find someone more deserving. I feel truly thankful that you gave me a chance to show you how much I love her.”

“We’ve never doubted you love for a minute. I’ve always known you two belong together.

“The jury is still out for me,” Alex said, teasing Lena. “I told her she should hold out for someone richer.”

The women laughed hysterically.

“Shame on you, Alexandra. Apologize to Lena.”

Alex wrapped an arm around Lena’s shoulders.

“You know I’m just messing with you, Lena. You’re one of us now. I think you’ve proven how much you love Kara.”

“And that is why you will always have our support. Your love for each other is timeless. It is as strong as the steel forged for your necklace and as constant as time itself. You are family, Lena, and I can’t wait to spend more holidays with you, Eliza squeezing her tight.

***

Kara handed Lena a large blue box and kissed her neck. A fire roared in the fireplace as the rest of the Danvers family watched, eagerly awaiting another romantic revelation.

Lena opened the box and pulled out a framed photo of Kara and Lena. It was a candid shot of the two of them dancing close together at Alex’s birthday party. Lena looked at the photo and grinned.

“Oh my God. I love this photo of us.”

“I got a little help from Alex. I told her I wanted to find a photo that showed the real us and she knew exactly which one to pick.”

Lena reached behind Kara and grabbed Alex’s hand.

“Thank you. I love this. It’s perfect.”

Alex grinned and gave Lena’s hand a squeeze.

“The moment Sam and I saw this photo, we both said we had never seen two people who were more in love. It really is the essence of you two.”

“Read the letter, Malkati.”

Lena pulled out the letter read aloud.

“Night Seven. Malkati, I have presented you with so many parts of me, including my past. Now I want to give you a glimpse into my present. I know we are living it now, together, but I wanted to tell you just how much our life together means to me.

In this box, you’ll find a photo of us. I think this photo shows that no matter what is happening around us, we live and breathe for each other.

I have also included the letter I received when I won the Pulitzer. This represents so much, but mostly it represents where I came from and where I am now. I still remember standing in your office that first day with Clark. You said I could be a journalist, and your sincerity struck a nerve. Look how far we have come since that day. You gave me the courage to tell Cat I wanted more. From the first day we met, you have made such an impact on me and I have treasured every moment we’ve spent together. I have an amazing career, my family and friends are the best in the world, and I have the love of the most amazing woman in existence.

As far as my present goes, all I can say to you, Malkati, is waking up next to you every day is a blessing. The idea of falling asleep wrapped in your arms gets me through the day. Seeing your smile when I am down, lifts me up, and hearing your voice, fills me with a peace I’ve never felt before. You make my life so much richer.

My last gift to you on this seventh night of Hanukkah, is the letter I wrote to you confessing my feelings of love. Brainy and I etched it onto glass and framed it. We wouldn’t be where we are now if I hadn’t been crazy enough to spill my guts out onto the page. My life was so dark, so devoid of joy, without you by my side. I am thankful every day I took the chance. I love you so much. I could probably give you a thousand gifts that represent my love for you.

Just know that I thank God every day for bringing us together at last and I will spend every minute trying to make our present together as joyful, warm, and full of love as possible. You are my heart and every breath I breathe is for you.”

Lena laid the letter down on her lap and wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck. She kissed her lips softly and her eyes sparkled with happy tears.

“I love our life together so much,” Lena whispered softly. Lena let go and pulled the etched letter out of the box. She ran her fingers along the words.

“Every time I think you have given your most romantic gift; you give me something new that takes my breath away. I love this. It’s perfect. It’s a treasure.”

Kara smiled and caressed Lena’s cheek.

“You’re my treasure.”

***

As promised, the Danvers women stayed awake all night. They walked through the neighborhood enjoying a light misty rain and the cool evening air. They listened to lively music and danced until they could barely stand. Eliza filled their bellies with delicious treats, and they curled up on the couch watching movies until the sun came up. Preferring not to move from their nest in the living room, they all fell asleep wrapped in cozy contentment and warm blankets.

Kara looked around the living room and took in the beautiful holiday tableau. Completely safe, warm, and content, there was no other way to describe the seventh night in the Danvers household.


	8. The Eighth Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The eighth night brings more friends together to eat, laugh and celebrate a new miracle.

The arrivals started early. J’onn arrived just after breakfast, his arms packed with presents, and his eyes bright and full of love. Brainy and Nia arrived shortly after J’onn. Brainy had celebrated a few holidays with Nia’s family, but he was eager to see how the Danvers clan celebrated their Hanukkah. Lena opened the door just as Nia was explaining to Brainy the emotional significance of the holiday. Lena grinned when she told him not to treat the evening as a science experiment, but to tap into the familial connection and warmth of the last night.

When Clark and Lois arrived with Winn in tow, Alex couldn’t resist asking Clark if they had finally adopted Superman’s biggest fan. Winn blushed uncontrollably for an hour after Clark mussed his hair and jokingly gave Alex an affirmative nod. Lois looped her arm through Winn’s and smiled.

“We just couldn’t resist bringing the little guy home with us,” Lois said, with a chuckle.

Within minutes of everyone’s arrival, Eliza put their extended family to work. Using every free hand in the house, Eliza prepared an amazing meal, fit for an army. She made her unrivaled brisket, roasted chicken, latkes, kugel, and an incredibly special batch of matzo ball soup for Clark. She made four huge batches of sufganiyot, honey balls and cookies.

By the time the food was prepared and plated, everyone in the household was ready to celebrate the eighth night.

The Danvers home pulsed with a love and warmth only a big reunion of friends and family could bring. Kara’s Hanukkah playlist played throughout the home, and a beautiful fire blazed in the fireplace. The smell of the food wafted through the air and enticed all the partygoers.

Eliza, Lena, Kara, Alex, and Sam stood in front of the table of food, marveling at the feast they had all prepared. Nia walked up behind Kara and put a hand on her shoulder.

“You know, I’m really worried we’re going to run out of food. I mean, there’s only enough here to feed all of Midvale,” Nia said, playfully.

“You really are like one of my kids. Alex said the same thing on the first night,” Eliza said to Nia holding onto her arm.

“Tell me you didn’t make this much food for the five of you,” Nia said.

“Of course not,” Eliza replied cheerfully.

Alex popped in behind Eliza.

“Don’t let her fool you, Nia. It was close.”

Eliza grabbed Alex and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“You see what I have to deal with?”

Eliza moved to Lena and wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

“Now if only all my kids were like Lena, my life would be painless. I’ll never let her leave,” Eliza said, pulling Lena in closer.

“I’m not going anywhere. I think I’ll stay here forever. Kar, we live here now, okay?”

Kara wrapped her arms around Lena from behind.

“Sorry Malkati, I can’t sleep in a twin bed forever and National City needs both of us. Thank goodness Barry agreed to keep watch.”

“Okay, no problem,” Eliza said. I’ll keep my Lena and you can visit anytime.”

Everyone in earshot giggled and shot Kara a playful look of sympathy.

***

Nia and Kara sat close together in front of the fire, sharing a quiet chat before sundown.

“Cat sent a massive gift basket to the office for you,” Nia said with a sad smile. “She said she is cruising the Mediterranean for the holidays, but she sends you and the family all of her love.”

Kara smiled, but her eyes were sad.

“I miss her so much. It has been so long since we saw each other. My heart rests so much easier when I have her nearby. I wish she could have come here, but I guess cruising around the Mediterranean is a good enough excuse.”

“It must be so hard being that rich,” Nia said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, poor Cat,” Kara said, shaking her head. “I’m sure she’s in agony sunning on the deck of her yacht.”

***

After dinner, the family gathered around the hanukkiah. Much like Lena’s first night, Eliza waited to explain the meaning of Hanukkah to the group until after she recited the prayer and lit the candles for the eighth night.

She stepped back and gave Kara, Lena, Alex, Sam, and Ruby a big kiss on the cheek. She held Lena a little longer and whispered in her ear.

“You are a gift and I love you with all my heart. Nothing brings me greater joy than knowing you and Kara have one another. Thank you for joining our family, my love.”

Lena held Eliza and whispered back.

“You and your beautiful family are the gift. Thank you for giving me a family and a home. I have never known such peace.”

They both let go and stepped back, wiping away their tears.

Clark and Lois stepped forward and gave the women hugs. They had attended many Hanukkah celebrations at the Danvers home. Eliza waved Winn, Nia, Brainy and J’onn forward so they could receive their special Hanukkah hug.

Eliza sat down with the group and explained the meaning of Hanukkah. J’onn and Winn appreciated the education, but they found it difficult to concentrate on anything but the delicious latkes and sufganiyot. Lena marveled at how much she had learned in seven short days. She thought it was sweet watching Winn and J’onn try to take it all in.

Ruby’s Hanukkah wish came true when Lena recruited their extended clan to play Dreidel. With ten players, the stakes were higher and so were the rewards. The pots of gelt grew quickly. As Ruby predicted, Lena was a natural and took the gimel three times. Lena held onto her partner in crime and giggled as she pulled the gelt from the center of the table. As promised, she split the pot with Ruby and shared a piece or two with her beautiful Ahuvati.

***

The gift exchange was the liveliest by far. The group opened dozens of gifts and an infectious joy spread through the living room.

Nia knitted the entire group matching scarves and hats. Brainy performed unauthorized brain scans on all of them and framed the read outs. The group was a little creeped out at first, but the readouts were beautifully displayed, and they knew Brainy’s heart was in the right place. Alex and Sam gave Ruby a new computer, and Kara and Lena gave her a Virtual Reality game system she was dying to try.

As they had done each night before, the last present of the evening was Kara’s present to Lena. Eliza took a moment to explain to the group what Kara had been doing for Lena all week.

“Each night my Kara has presented Lena with a beautiful letter and a sentimental gift that connects them. Each night has been more romantic than the last. I’m not sure how she could beat last night, but the pressure is definitely on,” Eliza said, winking at Kara.

Lois leaned in and whispered in Alex’s ear.

“Do you think she’ll propose tonight?

“Kar said it was too early,” Alex whispered back. She rolled her eyes and gave her sister a disapproving nod.

The group hushed and sat agape when Kara walked out with a massive silver box that stood almost three feet tall.

“Definitely not an engagement ring,” Sam whispered to them both.

Kara set the box down in front of Lena and handed her an envelope. She took a seat next to her and gave her a charming smile.

“Damn. I was really hoping for a ring,” Eliza said, whispering to the other women.

Lena opened the envelope and cleared her throat.

“Night Eight. Malkati, first, thank you for spending the last seven nights with us. This Hanukkah was our best by far, thanks to you. I have spent so many years searching for someone to share my family and traditions with. I searched for someone who could love my family as much as I do. My search was over the minute I found you.

As you might have already guessed, the theme of this last night of Hanukkah is our future. I have guided you through my past and some experiences that have shaped who I am. I have exposed my weaknesses, and my fears. Hopefully, I have shown you just what you mean to me and my family and how thankful I am for our life together.

Tonight, on this last night of Hanukkah, I would like to share some of my hopes for our future.

In this enormous box, you will find two tickets to Paris. We’ve talked about going for the last few months and I decided it was time we finally see the most romantic city on the planet together.

The second item in the box is the outline for my novel. You have been so loving and supportive and I want to show you that I will make good on my promise to write my first book. I want to make you proud.

The last item in the box is a five-dollar bill for Alex.”

Lena looked over at Kara and cocked her head in confusion.

“Read on, Malkati,” Kara said, grinning.

J’onn cleared his throat and looked perplexed.

“Excuse me, Kara. Can I ask you a question? What is that name you’re calling Lena?” J’onn asked.

“‘Malkati’. It means ‘my queen’ in Hebrew,” Kara said, rubbing Lena’s cheek tenderly.

The sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted their sweet moment.

“I wonder who that could be,” Eliza said. “Everyone we know, and love is here.”

“I’ll get it,” Alex said, bracing herself to stand.

Lena stood up and smiled.

“Alex, why don’t you let Kara get the door?”

Alex took the hint and smiled.

“Of course. Go ahead, Kar.”

Kara stood up and gave Lena an inquisitive smile. Lena followed Kara over to the door.

“Is this one of those Hanukkah singing telegrams?” Kara asked with a little laugh and a snort.

A loud knock startled them both. Kara opened the door, and in a matter of seconds, she was sobbing. Cat stepped forward into the doorway and gave Kara her incredibly special and exceedingly rare Cat Grant smile.

“Happy Hanukkah, Keira,” Cat said playfully.

Kara threw her arms around Cat’s neck and continued to sob. She pulled back, trying to get a hold of herself.

“How are you here? I thought you were in the Mediterranean. Nia said...,” Kara started.

“Oh yes, the basket. A cleaver rouse orchestrated by your brilliant soulmate over there.”

Kara looked back at Lena and smiled. She turned to Cat and held onto her in disbelief.

“I can’t believe you traveled all this way. I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too. Lena contacted me and said that she thought it would be a delightful surprise if I joined you all on the last night of Hanukkah. I was going to cruise the Mediterranean, but there is nowhere I would rather be than with you and your family for this special occasion.”

Cat stepped inside and everyone greeted her warmly. Cat turned to Kara and beamed.

“Hey, the last time you were at my place, you forgot a little something. I brought it with me. Let me see if I still have it.”

Cat started digging through her comically large Prada beach bag purse. She pulled out a small box and handed it to Kara.

“Here it is. Take this,” Cat said, handing the box to Kara. Kara’s brow furrowed, and she tried to remember what she would have left at Cat’s place. She opened the box and found a stunning engagement ring. She looked at Cat, bewildered.

“I don’t understand,” Kara said with a shaky voice.

“Don’t you? I’m not proposing,” Cat said.

Kara turned around to find Lena down on one knee. Kara moved her hands to her mouth and sobbed uncontrollably.

“I... I don’t understand.”

Lena took Kara’s hand and gave her the smile that was only hers. Their eyes filled with tears, but their smiles were infectious. The entire room stood still, breathless, and hanging on their words.

“My Kara Zor-El, my Kara Danvers, my beautiful hero and my Ahuvati, you have loved me unconditionally and without limit, since the day we met. Your love is rich and beautiful and every minute I have known you, I have wanted to be a better person. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.

Spending this week with you and our family has only solidified the fact that you are the love of my life, the reason I live and breathe, and my tether to the light. Nothing I say or do will be half as romantic as what you did every night this week, but I knew asking Cat to be here was important. I wanted Cat to be a part of this because you love her so much and she means so much to you. I wanted Cat and our entire family with us when I ask you, my everything, to spend the rest of your life with me. Will you marry me, my love?”

Kara exploded into uncontrollable laughter. Her reaction was shocking to everyone in the room.

“Go grab your box and bring it over here. Kara just barely managed through her laughter.

Lena seemed a little shaken by Kara’s response.

“Go ahead, Malkati. Remove the lid.”

Lena removed the lid from the box and looked inside. None of the objects from the letter were in the box. Instead, a small ring box sat in the center. Lena looked back at Kara and broke down into a fit of happy tears and giggles.

“You were going to propose to me too?” Lena asked, laughing. “God, I love us.”

“You two are ridiculous,” Cat said with her signature Cat Grant smirk.

“I wanted to throw you and the family off the scent. Of course, I was going to propose. I wanted to marry you after our first date. If I’m being honest, I wanted to marry you the moment we met.”

Lena threw her arms around Kara’s neck and kissed her with all the love in her heart.

“I’m so happy, I feel like I could burst,” Lena said.

“I called Cat and asked her to be here, but she said she had other plans that she couldn’t reschedule. I was so disappointed,” Kara said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “It crushed me.”

“Sorry, Kara. We’ve been planning this for a while,” Cat said, giving Kara’s shoulder a gentle pat.

Lena reached down and grabbed the ring box. She opened the box and found a stunning princess cut diamond resting on a gorgeous platinum setting. Her face lit up. She turned to Kara, who was now down on one knee.

“Lena Kieran Luthor, I know I’m a little late to the game, but will you marry me... um too?”

Lena dropped to her knees and grabbed Kara’s face.

“Of course, I will.”

They hugged each other hard as everyone in the room looked on.

“This is absolutely absurd and so Kara and Lena,” Alex said, holding onto Sam and Ruby.

Lena pulled Kara’s face closer and stared deep into her eyes. They didn’t hear a thing. It was just the two of them in that moment.

“You’re right, Alex. So absurd,” Cat said. “And adorable.”

“Hey Kar! What the heck? You specifically said it was too early to propose,” Alex said.

“If I had told you and Mom, you two would have acted all weird and told Lena about it on the second night. You two are terrible at keeping secrets when it comes to romance. I did you guys a favor.”

Eliza and Alex both shrugged their shoulders and laughed.

“So true,” Eliza said.

Eliza quickly moved to Lena and Kara’s side. She wrapped an arm around each of them as they stood together. She kissed them both on the cheek and pulled them in tight.

“I received so many beautiful gifts this Hanukkah, but this gift is the greatest by far. We didn’t need rings to make you a part of this family Lena, but I am so happy you are joining our family officially.”

“Will you change your name or keep it, Lena?” Sam asked.

“Who wouldn’t want to be a Danvers?” Lena asked.

“That’s why Rubes and I changed our names. Welcome to the Danvers family officially, Lena,” Sam said, blowing her best friend a kiss.

“It’s time to do away with my Luthor darkness and embrace the Danvers light.”

Kara pressed her forehead to Lena’s and closed her eyes.

“You can change your name, but you’ll always be my Luthor and I will always be your Super.”

Eliza clapped her hands and beamed.

“Everyone let’s head to the kitchen. I have some sparkling cider and some champagne chilling. I never imagined the eighth night would end with a double proposal.”

“It sure took you two long enough,” Alex said. “I was starting to think it would never happen. We have two miracles to celebrate tonight.”

Maybe it was the flickering flames of the candles on the hanukkiah that made the night glow, or maybe it was the love of two unlikely friends-turned lovers that spread the magical warmth and joy through the Danvers home. Kara and Lena stood, wrapped together, and watched happily as everyone celebrated the happy, albeit ridiculous, double proposal.

***

The next morning everyone packed up their things and prepared for their trip back to their respective homes. Kara brought their luggage downstairs and joined the rest of the house guests in the kitchen. They hugged Eliza goodbye and thanked her for her kind hospitality.

Eliza wrapped her arms around Lena and held on tight. She whispered in her new daughter’s ear.

“Thank you for joining us for Hanukkah Lena, my love. This was the best Hanukkah we’ve ever had. You were exactly what we needed to make our family feel complete.”

“Thank you. This was, without a doubt, the happiest week of my life. I wish we didn’t have to leave.”

“If it were up to me, I would keep all you forever. This house will be so cold and so lonely without you all here.”

“Come home with us. Spend some time in National City and we can start planning the wedding.”

“I think you and Kara deserve some time to celebrate your engagement, as a couple should, but how about I come and visit you in a couple weeks? I’ll take you shopping for wedding dresses and we can choose your colors and your china. It will be perfect.”

“I love that.”

“We will grab Sam and Ruby and leave Alex and Kara to their own devices.”

“It’s a date,” Lena said, kissing Eliza’s cheek.

Eliza pulled back and held Lena’s face between her hands.

“Okay, Lena, my love. Safe travels. And please take care of my Kara.”

Eliza leaned in and whispered softly.

“She may be super, but you are her hero.”

Kara walked over to Eliza and Lena and wrapped an arm around each of them.

“Baby, I do have one question,” Lena said to Kara as everyone crowded around.

“Shoot,” Kara said with a smile.

“I understand that the last box was just a decoy, but what was the five-dollar bill for Alex all about?”

“Well, I have the outline and the tickets at home waiting for you under your pillow. I gave Alex her five-dollar bill last night before bed.”

“That’s my question. Why were you giving Alex a five-dollar bill?”

Kara wrapped an arm around Lena’s waist and kissed her cheek.

“You haven’t figured it out, Malkati?”

“Nope.”

“The day you and I confessed our love to each other, I ran to Alex and told her everything. She bet me five dollars that I would propose to you within the year. Of course, I told her we would take it slow, but she was right. It was the happiest five dollars I’ve ever lost.”

Lena wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck and kissed her passionately.

The group of friends and family gathered for their last goodbyes before heading off. Kara looked around at all the people who she loved, gathered in one place and she knew that no matter what villain tried to attack, or catastrophe was waiting for her around the corner, she could get through anything with their love and support. Kara looked down at her engagement ring, a small floating diamond nestled into a platinum band, and her heart tingled with joy. Lena grabbed her hand and looked over at her with an inquisitive smile.

“Are you okay, baby?”

“Better than okay. I’m so happy, this all feels like a dream.”

Lena interlaced her fingers with Kara’s, and they looked down at their rings.

“Marrying you and spending the rest of my life with you and your wonderful family is definitely my dream come true. Thank you for giving me the best Hanukkah a girl could ask for.”

“My pleasure. What do you say we head home and cuddle up in our bed for the next twelve hours? Maybe we can burn off some of these Hanukkah calories,” Kara whispered playfully.”

“I love the way you think, my naughty hero.”

***

Eliza stood on the front porch waving goodbye to everyone. She wrapped her arms around her body to warm up and smiled as everyone blew her kisses.

“A new daughter, a wedding to plan, and Alex and Sam are working on a new grandbaby. Not bad. Not bad at all.”

Eliza walked inside the house and closed the door, content that the story of the Danvers family was just beginning.

**The End**

**The sequel to this story, “The Wedding”, is posted on[Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136088/chapters/55365496). **

[ **https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136088/chapters/55365496** ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136088/chapters/55365496)

**Thank you for reading and Happy Holidays to you and all the ones you love.**

**~ ValkyrieNine**


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